North Wales Gazette

CATHOLIC BOARD. Dublin, May I.-The Earl of Fingall, in the Chair.—The Board assembled in unusual iiurli- bers, all tilled with anxiety for the common cause of freedom.—The Noble Earl took the Chair at three o'clock, and the business of this important sitting did not close until seven. After some pre- liryiiiiai,y I)tisiiie,,s Ili-. O'Connell I)i-occe(lefl, pur- suant to the Order of the Day, to move, that the late Delegates be directed to repair to London, without delay" An earnest discussion ensued, highly interesting and instructive. Ta- lent, temperance, penetration, and profound in- telligence, were eminently observable throughout. The discussion turned principally upon the me- rits and provisions of the Catholic Bill, prepared latety hy the Committee of the Commons House. Two Members had just seen a Draft of the Bill, and stated is contents to the Board.— ("Their statement has since been corroborated by tlie pub- lication of the Bill itself, as presented by Mr. Grattan on the 29th nl!.] We must premise, in justice to this grave and estimable Body, that the Ecclesiastical Provisions of this Bill, or propos- ed Securities, formed no part of their disenssion, directly Of indirectly-from this branch ofthe sub- jz;ct, every Member of the Beard scrupulously ab- stained-leaving it, where it may safely be can- fided, in the hands of the Catholic Hierarchy.— Unt, with respect to the Civil Enactments of the proposed Bill, or those which profess to grant to the Catholic Body a complete Emancipation, and to effect the declared purpose of Parliament, by a final adjustment, and by burying all religious jealousies in oblivion; this subject was treated with equal freedom and acuteness. I. It was observed, and with regret, that al- though the Catholics have lately petitioned the Legislature for Religious Freedom, upon the enlarged basis of justice afl(I universalliherty of conscience, praying relief equally for all other classes of Dissesters, as for themselves; yet the proposed Bill is narrowed in its principle., to the relief of the Catholics alone, which is the more to be regretted, because the Dissenters, by their uniform liberality, and recent aid afforded to the Catholic Petitions, had acquired weighty claims upon the gratitude and co-operation of the Catho- lic Body; and it was therefore desired to be un- derstood, now as heretofore, to be ilie wish of the Catholics, to have all other Dissenters com- prehended iu the like relief with themselves. 2. But, even though the Cramers of the Bill should (contrary to the wish of the Catholics) adopt the less comprehensive principle, yet the proposed Bill does not go the length of complete religious freedom, even for the Catholics them- selves. Now it has long been understood, that (whenever the necessary Ecclesiastical Securities should be devised) no difficnlty could remain in the way of the complete civil Emancipation of the Catholic Body. There was to be a final ad- juslmentlhat should leave no grievance unredres- sed, no ground for future petitions. The account of oppression was to be finally closed, by a sim- ple Repeal; so It has been all along expecfed, Ilot merely by the Catholics, but by the Protes- tants. !•]ven the loudest of the opponents objected to relief, not so much because exclusion ought to remain, as because security was not provided; so, too, ill the preamble, of the fJiil under dis- cussion. But. here is ample Security required, and yet ample Redress is not provided. These ,)u(,Iit to I)e (,o-exteiisive--tliey ai-c i)ot so. The Bill is only for a partial Repeal. True, it res- lores rijticll but it leaves much. This cannot be supposed to he the iateulion of the liberal alld enlightened Members of the .Committee but probably owing to the unskilftilness of some Lawyer, whom (hey have employed, probably not much acquainted with the law, or interests of Ireland. Amendment in this particular should be provided, and defects pointed out, if not now too late for interference- 3. The frame of the Bill appeared questiona- ble. It to lelieve the Catholics from certain specified Penal Statutes yet it does not in the accustomed technical form, repeal those Statutes by express name or recital, but by ge- neral wonls, whieh may hereafter receive a harsh interpretation. Of this Dr. Duigeuan's Court has afforded an instance 4. The language of the Bill, too, appeared inadequate to the intended objects. Of this ina- dequacy many instances were adduced, and ex- cited a general surprise amongst the Members. It was observed, that tlie Oa:h contained in the proposed Bill contains (in addition to the en- tire or the present Oaths) certain new phrases, which have not been sufficiently considered by the Catholics, or even offered or known by them. 6. That there is a blunder in more than one passage of the Bill, whe.re it adverts to a Decla- ration against Transubstantiation, and also to a Declaration against the Invocation of Saijits whereas, in fact, there is only ONE Declaration. 7. That the clause relating to the Elective Franchise is become now quite unnecessary for the Irish Catholics, and must have been penned without acquaintance with the Election Code of I reland. 8. That the exception of the offices of Chan- cellor of England, and Lord Lientanant of Ire- land (though but two in number,) appears to be founded upon a principle of exclusion, which the Catholic Body cannot, as good an 1 deserving ci- tizens, be expected even to recognize. 9. That the Enactment for admission into Cor- porations, keeps the Catholics, practically, still excluded as it leaves them at the mercy of present, and future Bve lawsj of Exclusion, as it omits the words, "Charter or by Law," as it employs only the vague and disputable term, "Member of a Corporation," instead of the legal narnesof the Corporate Officers as i £ pro- vides no redress in case of refusal to admit L' ree- ncn and, finally, as it, leaves the offices oi Di- rectors of the Bank of Ireland (for instance) still ■dosed against Catholic wealth and probity. 10. That, by continuing the exclusion from the Universitie", and from even the Law Fellow- ships and offices therein, it deines to the Catho- lie all participation of the benefits of edu- to be enjoyed in those highly endowed establishments. 11. Thai ibis same clause, by its operation, disables Catholics from the higher offices in the Law-as those of Judges, Masters in Chancery &c. &c 12. It leaves the Catholic Peers of Ireland still incapable of voting at the Election of any Representative Peer of Ireland.— Another proof of unskilfulness in the framer of this Bit!; for the Commi Uee. coulJ no t have JcsigtlUÙy continued this disability. 14. It leaves the Catholics still a pray to all the pillage of Church Rates, Vestry Cesses, &c fife, so grievously felt by the farmers, cottiers, and peasantry of Ireland—(Another important oniissioli 11) 15. It still subjects them to the long oaths, imposed by Dr. Duigenan's presentment in 1793 and no Catholic is to acquire, enjoy, or trans- mit, freehold property, be a guardian, &c. or scarcely exist in civil life, without publicly tak- ing and subscribing these Oaths—(This hardship, it was observed, was most galling and personally- inconvenient, in many instances.) 16. Many other omissions, doubtful phrases, and imperfections, were largely commented upon. It appeared to he the general sense of this enlightejied Meeting, that (however upright the views, and estimable the characters of the Mem. bers of the Committee may be, and (his was ful- ly acknowledged) they had produced a Bill, which was, in i's principle, restricted; in its frame unnecessarily doubtful; and in its pro- visions inadequate to that full relief, which has been expected by the public, of all classes, and was apparently intended by the Parliament, and, probably, by the Committee itself. The Reso- lution moved by Mr. O'Connell having passed unanimously, that Gentleman next moved, That the additional Delegates should be Sir Edward Bellew, Major Bryan, and Messrs. Bagot and Scully." A ballot accordingly took place, when it appeared that Sir E. Bellew, Messrs. Bryan, Scully, O'Connell, and Bagot, were elected un- animously. The Earl of Fingall, herore leaving the Chair, expressed in warm terms his satisfac- tion at the instructive and highly beneficial dis- clIssion, which had that day taken place at the Board, and for which they must feel highly in- debted to the Members who had taken part in it. For his part, it had made upon his mind a deep, and, he trusted, a salutary impression.- To him, and other Delegates present, it was most seasonable, as they proposed to sail for Holyhead with the first fair wind. It should he his care and theirs, when in London, to make a proper use of the suggestions and observations which he had that day heard.—Adjourned. Monday May.1i.—The Secretary, fill. Finn, at- tended, and produced a letter received from Mr. Hay, accompanying a compared copy of the Ca- tholic Bill. This important document excited general attention and interest. The Earl of Fill. gall was called to the Chair, the Bill was read distinctly. Many of the former observations were repeated and corroborated. It appeared to be the general wish and understanding of the Board that Messrs. Scully and O'Connell should pro- fessionally take the Bill into their consideration, and report their opinion upon it. However,no formal Resolution to this cffect. was proposed, on account of the Standing Order, which requires a week's notice of every motion. The Earl of Fin- gall took his leave of the Board.

A FULL EXPOSUltE OF ANN MOORE, THE FASTING HlPOSTOfl. About the beginning of the year IS07, Ann or Staffordshire, first excited public attention, by declaring that she lived without food-. Anasser- tion so repugn,-nit to reason and nature, was, of course rejected. She therefore offered to prove the tnHII of her assertion by stilnniifing to.be watched for a considerable time. In order to satisfy the public, she was remov- ed from her own home to the house of Mr. Jack- son, grocer, of the same village, and all the in- habitants invited to join in watching her. A Mr. tile watch- ing, which continued sixteen days, during which finie she was allowed a little water, on the three first days. When the watch had ended, she was removed to her own bouse, and Mr. Taylor pub- lished an account declaring that she had lived for thirteen days, without asking any food, liquid or solid. This account so attested, was believed by numbers, who flocked lo see her, and few visited her wilhout leaving some proof of their creduli- ty or pily. v By this means she had collected in the course of two years about 250/. and since that lime ihe the Eiiii) ;,i skil)l)oseft to amount to four or five hundred pounds; but this is only conjeclare, all that can be proved is,that she has deposited 250/. in Ihe hands of Mr. Hitchcock. In order to give additional weight to her case she professed lo he veiy religious: the Bible was laid on her bed, and l;er conversation such as led the ignorant to her to be a per- son of extraordinary piety. But this Blask wa Ihrovrn off whenever she was pressed too hard by pointed questions from those who si ill doubt- ed. On such occasions she would vent such vi- rulent language as would fully evince the absence of any relig-ions priuciple in her. Previous to this time, hcr moral depravity was noforious. She had been separated from her husband ahout twenty years, and has lived in open adultery with another man, by whom she bad two children.— The eldest is now a young woman of about eighteen years, and the other a boy of about six teen years. As her object appears to be the acquisition of money, she thought proper, in order to make a greater impression on ihe public mind, to assert, that since tlit,, little she was watched, she has not taken any thing whatever. That her case is a miracle wrought -immediately by the power of God, an interference of Divine Providence on her IJ i a If. liy which she is kept alive without ei- ther eating or drinking. She also declared that g'.ie had so far lost ihe po wer of swallowing, that if she was to attempt, it, s;u would be suffo- cated. That she hart no evacuation. That she never sleeps. That if her veins were pricked there would come out blood and water! But .as she evidently [jays no regard to tiuth, her assertions are not entitled to any credit. In- deed the f'ullest and most complete contradiction can now be given to her false assertions. Though the declaration of the persolls who for- nwrlywatche(1 her, in addition to her own asser- tions,had obtained considerable credit, there yet remained many persons who refused their assent: ,fie wiii therefore called upon both by tliose wli,) doubted and those who believed, her testimony, to submit ion second watch. Six years had elapsed since the first watch. She was still in perfect health and free from pain. She looked even better than she had done for some years.— Conscious of her own deception, she would not submit to be watched a second time, although a large sum was offered her. At last a publication I)i-. Henderson, in which he expressed his reasons for withholding his assent, roused her partizans to offer the most effectual answer to his pamphlet. "Yon must be watched," said they, or you will be considered as an impostor." pressed with numerous and repeated solicita- tions, at last she assented. But in order to throw possible difficulty in the way, she refused to be watched by any other persons than ministers of the Church of England, medical men and ma- stratei. This she did, probably supposing ("hat a sufficient number of such persons twilling- to undertake the office) would not be found. At last, however, a committee was formed, at the head of which the uame of Sir Oswald Moseley, Bari. of Rolleston, is found. Circular letters were sent to iniiiiitei-s and medical gentlemen of the neighbouring towns, and a number sufficient for te purpose was at last obtained. The Committee riibt on Tuesday, the 20th of April, 1813, And the length of time which they determined she should be watched was one month. This she vehemently refused to submit to, but as no shorter time would satisfy the medical part of the Committee she at last was obliged to'assent. In order to discover the imposture, it was thought proper that she should first be weighed, and that she should be taken from the bed on which she then was, and placed on one which had a machine for weighing attached to it. This proposition was received by her with signs of the greatest dissatisfaction, and for a time she abso- lutely refused to be weighed. "They may bring Ihe bed (said ihe) and place the machine under it, and 1 will hreak up the watch immediately." Conscious that her deception would undoubtedly be discovered by her daily loss of weight, she nrobably would never have submitted to be weighed, had she not been prevailed upon by a person to whose opinion she seemed to pay some deference. But in order to prepare the public mind for what she knew would follow, she said, "I may lose 2 or 31b. weight; t lost weight before." Now this she could not know, fur he was not weighed before. I'll not be weighed alone (said she) the bed and bedding shall be altogether," supposing there would be room for charging her loss of weight, in part, to them. The bed was filled with chaff, and the clothes examined in the presence of the Committee. The watch entered on their oflice at two o'clock on Wednesday. She received the watchers with as much good manners as she was capable of, though she had been crying bitterly before they came. The first watch, which continued four hours was began by Sir Oswald Mosley, and the Rev. Leigh Richmond, and followed by several other gentlemen. At the end of seven days the public was informed that she had, during that time, taken no food whatever. Great confidence was now expressed by her advocates that she would endure I h ordeal with credit- Though it was very evident to all (he persons who attended her towards the ciose of the week, that she was suf- fering severely from want. And when the ma- chine for weighing her was placed under the bed, it was found that she lost weight rapidly. At last, an the ninth day, she insisted on the watch- ers quitting the room, declaring that she was very iil,, and that her daughter must be sent for. She was now greatly reduced, and the watchers who attendell her were much alarmed, lest she should expire, and apprehensive of being impli- cated in the charge of murder, they quitted the room and admitted the daughter. It was thought that she could not live two hours longer, but after the watchers had left her, and the daughter admitted, and had administered what she thought proper, the mother began to recover, and now no apprehensions are entertained of her danger. One remarkable circumstance was, that on Friday, the 30th of April, after the watch broke up, she desired to take a solemn oath, that she had not (iiii-iiir the time she was watched, taken I any food whatever which oath was administered unto her.-This she did in hope, notwithstanding all, si ill to impose on the public. That such an '111, 9 oath should have been administered, is very as- tonishing. But as her shift with the deep stain of urine and excrement, was discovered in the room, to her utter confusion, she was brought at last to the following confession. I, Ann Moore, of Tutbury, humbly asking pardon of all persons whom I have attempted to deceive and impose upon, and above all, with the most IInreigncd sorrow ancl contrition, imploring the Divine mercy and forgiveness of that God whom I have so greatly offended, do most so- lemnly declare that I have occasioliaty taken sus- tenance for the last six years. W itlless my band this 4th day of May, 1813. AN *N' MOORE, her mark." The above declaration of Ann Moore was made before me, one of his Majesty's Justices of the Peace fur the county of Stafford, THOMAS LISTER." Witness to the ahove Declaration aud Sig- nature of my mother, Ann Moore, MARY MOORE." Signed by order and in the name of the Com- mittee, JOS. B. H. BENNETT, Secretary.

POLITICAL SUMMARY. NORTHERS WAR.-——THE French papers make a sort of oflicial estimate of the forces in advance towards the Elbe and give Nev 60,000 men at Erfurt, and Marmont and llcl- Irnnd the same number, respectively, at Gotha and Colburg. Those statements have a fight to be considered according to the general standard of French accuracy; or, for example sake, adopting a particular instance, by the representation made of Beauharnois force at Magdeburg. The present sixty thousands are, we .should imagine, in proportion to his one hittidi ed ihoiistind. Bonaparte arrivcd at Frankfort on tht: 25lh 1111. and proceeded to liiiiati. He was accom- panied by Berthier, Caulincourt, and Duroc, the Marshall of the Palace. The Hamburgh accounts preserve their usu- al spirit and tcnor-exhihiting the North of Europe as hecoming more sensible every day of the slavery which it has been made to en- dure, and more desirous to shake off oppres- sion, and put on the proud character of inde- pendence. To demonstrate this auspicious stale of the public mind, we are informed, that the Saxon force under Thielman, which lay in Torgau, has united with the banners of Russia aud Prussia; and that some divisions of the troops of Gotha, Saxe-Weimar, and Helburgbausen, had capitulated at Eisinach, and immediately afterwards incorporated themselves with the corps to which they had surrendered. These are particular circum- stances but the manifestations of public spi- rit and patriotism which cannot beso distinct- ly pointed out, extend throughout a consider- able territory, embracing almost the whole country from the shores of the Baltic lo the Austrian frontier and taking what rumour advances with some confidence, as circum- stances deserving of our belief, the noble emancipations of freedom have been evinced with elfect in the Tyrol, and in Croatia and Carinthia, which countries are stated to be in open revolt. Thorn has surrendered, according lo official i authority j and Modlin and Zamosc, on the credit of private statements. These conquests make such a reduction of the French fortified positions in the rear of the Confederate Ar- mies, as will restore a large share of the secu- rity, which, according to some of the corn mentators on the war, they had risqued by having left there in the enemy's hands, wheu the war was pushed so vigorously, and, as- they would have it. thoughtlessly into Ger. many. The operations against the other for- tresses in the enemy's possession were pressed unremittingly—Stettin was assaitedtby disease* to aggravate its endurances, and Wittenberg was attacked by a fresh force, that which had lain before it having been moved forward to the Elbe. The capture of Bantzic has received no confirmation. The consequences of the fast campaign, as they are described in the German Papers, have been dreadfnl beyond whatever had been, imagined. In the Goverements of Moscow, Witepsk, and Mohilow, 253,000 bodies, of the enemy's army had been burieil, and in the district of Wilna, 53,000., making a total of 306,000

FRIDAY, MAY 7. New York Papers to the 21st have arrived. fhey shew the great apprehensions which the Americans entertain, both in the Chesapeake and Delaware Two 74's and a frigale were proceeding towards Norfolk, the inhabitants of which were in the greatest consternation. It was feared that all the American shipping- I in both the Chesapeake and Delaware would be destroyed. A letter from Bonaparte to Lebrun, dated from Menlz the 21st nil. givesashort account of the positions of the French armies—Ney was in frout of Erfurt with his advanced guard under Soubam and Weittiar Marmont at Golha; Soult at Eisenach; and Bei-trami) at Co I IMI rg. Beauharnois from the Mouths of the Siiale to the Hartz Mountains. Troops," it Is added, arrive from all quarters, ilnd the enemy will soon he forced to retreat." The truth or falsehood of this prediction has pro- bably, ere this, been decided.— Ney is said to have a force of 60,000 under him. The daze lie of Tuesday contains an Order in COllncll. directing in cases of the recapture of ships and goods belonging to his Majesty's subjects, whereof the owners and proprietors are entitled to the restitution on salvage, and 'where the owners and proprietors, or their agents specially authorised are not present to claim, that on a claim being given for the ship by the master, or in his absence by the male; and for the cargo, by the supercargo or master, the Court shall direct a valuation of the ship and cargo to be made by appraise- ment without sale or unlivery, as far as the same shall be practicable; and on such valua- tion to he approved and confirmed by the Court, shall direct the ship and cargo to be restored to the person or persons aforesaid, claiming (he same, on payment of the propor- decreed to be paid to the captors, in lieu of salvage, and of costs and expenccs. In de- faultot such payment, the Court shall order and direct so much of the cargo to be sold as fib a II be Sll tncient fo r t he payment of the salvage End expences. Saturday morning the Seahorse frigate, Captain J. A. Gordon, arrived at Portsmouth from Jamaica in 45 days, with 800,000 dol- lars (merchant's property) on board. Coni inissioner and Mrs. Wolley raiiie home in her, for the recovery of their health, with Capt. Ross, of his Majesty's late ship Rhodian. It was with feeling's of regret we learned by her of the capture of his Majesty's sloop of war Peacock, of 18 guns, commanded by Capt. Wm. Peake, by the American sloop of war the Hornet. Captain Lawrence. Captain Peake and all the officers (ell before the ship struck. Captain Peake fell nearly at theclose of the hatlle. The circumstances, as brought by the Seahorse,are as follow: Whcn in chan ■ nel soundings, she fell in with a Leeward Is- land packet, last from Guadalonpe, the Capt ot which informed Captain C,-)rdoii, !iial j before he sailed from Guadalonpe, four of the crew of the Peacockhadarrived therefrom De- nieniraii) a packet-boat, bringing intelligence of the capture of the Peacock, after a very severe contest, by the American sloop of war Hornet, and that she sllllk soon after the ac. tion had ceased. By their account it appear- ed, the Peacock and Hornet fell in with each other late in the evening (date not staled) in sight of Demerara; that an action was com- menced with great confidence of success by the crew of ihe Peacock but in a very siiort time the heavy and quick tiring of the Hornet com- pletely disabled her. The action was, how- ever, maintained with the utmost ardour for 45 minutes, when, the ship being reduced to a mere wreck, without mast or spar standing, all the officers being killed, the far great- part of the crew killed, and the ship having live feet water in tile hold, the colours were struck The Peacock was in a sinking stale, v and fast going down, when the only boat she had remaining was thrown overboard, and the four men mentioned got into her, and pushed off. The Hornet now passed under her stern, and said see had lost a great many men, and was much cut up, but she would send a boat to assist in taking out the crew. Before these men lost sight of the Hornet, the Peacock went down, and, it is apprehended, very tew I of the Peacock's brave crew were saved. The Demerara and Opossum sloops of war put to sea from Demerara after the Hornet, with every chance of coming up with her. She was on her return to America from the coast of Brazil, when she fell in with the Peacock.

AUSTRIAN STATE PAPER. We, Francis I, by the Grace of God Emperor 9r Austria, Kiiig of Hungary, Bohemia, Gailicia, and Lodoiniria, &c. Archduke of Austi. i, &c. The events of late years, and especially of that which has last closed, must necessarily have the most marked influence on the relations of our Empire. The peace and war, Ihe prosperous or untoward situation of the States contiguous to us, inevitably operate on the rraiiqiiility ati(I wel- fare of the people entrusted to us by Providence. How much we have endeavoured to render to efforts which we have been hi'herto necessitated to make by the state of thins- compatible with the great interests and the prosperity of our sub- jects, they themselves-wilt gratefully acknow- ledge. That the objects of our exertion tli aim of all the great and extraordinary sacrifices demanded of our provinces during the last year, I<as been (he establishment, if possible, of a trau- i quility built on lasting foundations, not only oui j own Empire, but all Europe must be thoroughly convinced. And as we now cherish the hope, in the im- pending crisis of the fate of Europe, to render available that weight which is secured to us by the state of our monarchy, and our relations with other powers, generally,-towards the common advantage, fro:)i which our own is inseparable; so it becomes the more necessary, to place our- selves, by the increase of our military force, in a condition perfectly adequate to so important a determination. The greater have been the proofs which our people have exhibited tons, of their affection and faithful co operation in the important and difficult periods of our reign, the more are we iii;t,fled ;if oil their ready willingness to make every eU'irt, in this the most important crisu of all, wlrch is to dee'de upon the estab- lishment of a state of re nose with all iti consequences,—so necessary to ali, and which is the object of so aiany ardent wishes, It has, however, been the object of our pater- nal solicitude, to obtain the means of supplying our conseqaent extraordinary necessities by a measure, which without requiring of our subjects such immoderate sacrifices as might disturb the prosperity of our financial system, or the most important pursuits of industry, will better mani- fest the confidence which we place in our people. As we still persevere in the resolntions which were malIe known in the Ordinance of the 20th of February, 1811, never, and on no account, to increase the iitinibei- of Redemption Bills, so we have found it necessary to establish a considera- ble and immediately applicable Fund, by way of anticipation, on a portion of the best secured re- venues of the state. We have therefore resolved, and do ordain, as follows [The Decree then sets apart 3,750,000 florins anuually for 12 years, as an Anticipation Fund.J