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her hair combed. When she uw me, 1 she crept cm her knees towards roe, beg ging permission to barn herself with the body of her husband. " As soon as the magistrate's leave arrived for the awful ceremony, the re latives placed the corpse on a bier which they carried, and on which the widow was seated. She was carried to the place of funeral, amidst a large crowd, on whom she scattered parched grain. The funeral pile was made in a hollow cune, dug in the earth, about four feet deep, and five feet diameter at the mouth. It was lined with dry wood, and partly filled with combustiMes.Afse*' the widow had bathed in n tank, the corpse was , . e* . . .' - _2Jtfcxheusted, that At this time she?^T~ . . . a rcUti*%0*^*S"s*d to bear hcr up 10 ^5-When again on her feet, she tore off a part of her robe, wrapped it round herelde^t son, a child about eight years old. After this many men and women fell at her feet and kissed them. The victim exhorted the women to follow her example, should they ever be in a similar state. The boy now threw a lighted torch wtr the cone ? it blazed with great fury. The widow walked three times round the cone, throwing in rosin to enliven the blaze from a pot which she had under hcr arm, then jumped with alacrity into the flames, and seated herself near the corpse. ? Sue was in a moment enveloped in flames, which the crowd increased by throwing in tow and other combustibles, and she kept clapping her hands, after the epidermis was nearly burnt ofT her body. Her hands then fell; she was soon dead, but still the body kept its erect, ?eaied posture, and appeared like a statue of ebony amidst the raging flames! " The crowd shouted loudly and in cessanily, and said that such a resolute rut tee was never seen. The police offi cer who attended, and had seen many suiree?y told me he never saw one where th?- victim-was so calm and intrepid. I was within three yards of tbe cone ? the poor creature had her face towards me. I shall never forget tbe dreadful sight: Ii was awful and horrible! When I first saw her, there was a wildness in her looks; she was afterwards calm and composed; latterly weak, exhausted and agitated, but when she walked round the blazing cone, she was calm and col lected. "She was about fifty, her husband about sixty. She had three children, a daughter married, about SO, and two sons, one 8 and the other 7. " There was no compulsion, no force. Trt crowd, by the order of the police officers, receded from the cone, and I was nearer to it than any other person except tlje poor victim. There was no impediment to her jumping out of the fire, il she wished it. There was no in terest, in her self immolation, to the re lations; for she was poor, and the near est relatives were obliged to enter bonds to maintain the two children until they were of age to support themselves. It was religious enthusiasm? -it was the force of early inculcations acting on a warm mind ? The actof and the crowd ?eemed to feel no restraint from my pre sence; on the contrary, they fell back, to tJve mc a be iter view of the awful ceremony." LETTER OF M. N. B. HULL, TO HIS FATHER. We publish the following letter, which was delivered to us by the un happy man himself for publication, with feelings of no ordinary sensibility. This paper will speak for itself ; it neefls no comment of our own ; it may be said to speak from the grave, which already opens for its victim ; and from the evi dence that we personally became ac quainted with from the lips of this un fortunate and guilty man, we have no doubt of Us sincerity. ? Could we add any thing to the sentiments advanced by the writer, most cordially and deeply would we join in his supplication, that our rising youth would learn from this awful example, to reverence the admo nitions of their pious parents. Would to Cud that it would lead us all to re flect, that even murder is nearly allied to the indulgence of any known vice. That the same benificent Redeemer, through whose merits, not only this un happy man, but every son and daughter of Adam, must expect divine forgi%e res#, may have mercy on him, is our fervent supplication at the throne of Divine Grace. [Ifahtmore Chronicle. Dear Father*? I am daily and impa tiently expecting: a letter from you, and hope you have b? fore this time received my last. On Wednesday I received my awful sentence j but, dear father, I acknowledged to the court then, as I did before to you, the strict justice of it. Ye*>, ! know that my hands are polluted w ith blood, and my conscience? oh, it is burdened with the crime into which I have been drawn. Little did I expcct when 1 left our happy home and an af iectionate father, that before I Could see you again, I should have incurred such guilt, and be a tenant of this doleful ceil. Would to God I had rcjcctcd the first proposal, which was tbat wc should go on to get a sum of money, which Hut ton assured me he knew we could get, with ca*c and ccnainty. The plan wa*r>oi fully rxpla>n<d to me un il wc got lo Wi mington ? of the murder i knew nothing until vre were returning from the place the fiw night, ami when my terrcr prevented the execution of the plan. Then Hutton told me, that al though he had not mentioned it to me he meant to have put the man out of the i?ay, lest his evidence should lead to our conviction. Oh! if God had taked my life the next day, and never allowed me to go out a second time. But then -I should have died asl lived - rash end unprincipled^***1 now,\hough 1 have broufch* wregracc and anguish upon guilty soul may be iip>^auie Jesus Christ died for sin and he has given me time and hope to repent. When the poor man begged for his life, I told him we would, and I meant it, indeed 1 pleaded for him; but Hutton insisted we would be known, and told me it was no time for pleading, and at last told me either to shoot him or the driver, and then? oh my God forgive me. ? Dear father, I do not write you this to excuse my guilt? no, this is too, too bad! I have not denied it before God or man, but it i9 to show you, that dreadfully as I had abused your care, your tears and prayers were not altogether thrown a way? / t vat not quite abandoned. Oh my God, preserve my brother from bad I company, and enable him to soothe a heart which my wickcdness has so much i tortured. The poor woman too ? from her I have assisted to tear away her hus band, and made her children orphans If I could only work for them! but God will take care of them. Dear Father, this is a time of shame and sorrow with me, but may God so help me to repent and be converted, that all my sins may be forgiven me, and blotted out from his holy book. I read ihe Bible the greatest part of my time: I have sever al other books and tracts, but the Bible is now worth to me all that you used to say it was worth. I learn there that God is gracious, long suffering and merciful, and forgiving sin to the penitent, and takes* delight in a broken spirit; for he says in the Scripture, ? a broken and a contrite heart he will not despise;' he ?is able to frrgive the worst of sinners, and we read, 4 though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be as crimson, he can make them white as wool* ? how often my dear father have you told me these things, and yet worse than a child or brute I have resisted and not profited by your advise, and preferred the guilty advice of bad friends. I know that I am inexcusable by my earthly father ; and can my God , my heavenly father, ever forgive me? Oh, if it was not for Jesus Christ where, | where should I go? but I hope that he will support me under the dreadful punishment which I have shortly to suf fer?how my soul sinks under it; but if lie will only give. me hope in my death, and the least, the lowest part in his kingdom, I die contented. i One thing more. ? What will you think of me, who am so undeserving a wretch, asking any favour of you? But, my dear father, Mrs. Heaps, the wo man whose husband we murdered, is [ poor and dependent, and her children ? , it was your son that helped to make them orphans ! Will you not then, not withstanding your large family, do something tor them? give them a salary, or any thing that you see best, or can afford, and they, and God, and you son, will bless you. This would sweeten my death, to know that it was done at my request. Remember me, unfortunate as 1 am, to my mother. Thank God that my own mother is spared your suf fering*. Remember me, also, to bro ther, and sisters; and may my awful sit uation be a warning to them and all my acquaintances. God comfort you in this your time of affliction. I have seen a let ter from a gentleman in Utica, which stated you w ould probably be on to visit me after my trial. I long, yet dread to see you; it will be a grievous meeting. My eyes are so filled with tears, that I cannot write any more. But you know my feelings better than I can describe tlicm. Do write me soon. This from your guilty, afflicted, undutiful and im prisoned son. MORRIS N. B. HULL. flaltimort, (Prison) jfpril 23d, 1820. I)oct. Amos G. Hull. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Friday, April 21. The bill from the senate for clothing the army of the United States in arti cles oi domestic manufacture, as amend ed; the bill to establish an uniform mode of discipline and field exercise for the militia of the United States; the bill to designate the boundaries of districts and establishing land offices, for the disposal ol the public lands not heretofore offer ed for sale in the states of Alabama and Indiana, were read a third time. The house then resolved itself into a committee of the whole, on the bills re ported by the committee of manufac tures ? and the committee determined to take up first in order, the bill " to re gulate the duties on imports fend ton nage, and for other purposes." This bill pi'-pokCb changes in relation to the du ties on good* imported, in various pro portions. The bill havii.g been read through Mr. iialdwin rose, and delivered a speech of nearly iltfce hours in length, explanatory of the general principles by which the committee had been guided in reporting the bill; and of the grounds of the proposed increase of the duties oo the several articles of Ibe most im portance. Mr. Smith, of Mri. rose, after Mr. Baldwin concluded, and expressed his views of the tariff, in general opposit ion to those of Mr. Baldwin, as regards the merits of the system of revenue from imports, but without denying that some of the present duties might require to be increased. He did not, however, go far into the general question, having ri sen to move an amendment in the fol lowing clause: /-inf.? A duty of twelve and a half per centum ad valorem on all dying drugs, and materials for composingdyes, not subject to other rates of duty; gum arabic, gum Senegal, saltpetre, jewellery gold, silver and other watches, and parts of watches; pold and silver lace, em broidery and epauletts; precious stones or paste work, and all articles compos ed wholly or chiefly of gold, silver, pearl, apd precious stones; and laces, lace veils, lace shawls, or shades, of thread or Silk. The amendment was to strike out the word tv*tve% in the first line, for the purpose of inserting in lieu thereof the word seven. Mr. Clay, after paying a high com pliment to the ability and substantial character of the speech of Mr. Baldwin, said, that until an answer was to that speech at least attempted, he should ab stain from engaging in the support of the general principles of the bill. At present he only rose to say, that it be came the friends of the manufacturing system n6t to lend themselves with too much facility to alterations proposed m the system which has been reported by the committee of manufactures. That cominittce had, with ? patience and in dustry never surpassed in this house, prepared and reported a general sys tem. Its provisions were no doubt the result of much calculation; and, if the friends of the general features of it lis tened to every application which should be made to change this or that particu lar item, the effects would be, that they would lose the whole. Mr. C. then made some remarks against this particular motion. The question was taken on Mr. Smith's motion, and decided in the ne gative, without a division. Various other amendments were then proposed, which were uniformly reject ed. The committee then rose, reported progress, and obtained leave to sit again. Saturday, .#pril 22. The house resolved itself into a com mittee of the whole, on the bill to regu late the duties on imports and tonnage. And after a number of motions being made to amend the bill most of which were negatived? the bill having been gone through; Mr. Tyler of Va. moved to strike out the first scction of the bill, and was prepared now to go into the remarks which he intended to offer in opposition to the bill, if it were the pleasure of the committee to listen to an argument on its general merits; but as the committee had been engaged for several hours in a laborious and fatiguing consideration of its details, he moved that the committee now rise. The committee then rose, reported progress, and obtained leave to sit again. Mr. Newton from the committee of commerce presented to the house a mass of correspondence derived from the executive department, between the ministers of our government and those of France and England, respecting our trade with the British American colo nies, and the gener.d intercousc between France and the United States which was ordered to be printed; and the house adjourned. Monday, April 24. tarikf of duties. Sec. Sec. The house again resolved itself into a committee of the whole, Mr. Taylor in the chair, on the bill to regulate the duties on imports. After some debate the motion to strike out the firs' section of the bill (to reject it) was decided in the negative, 73 votes to 48. The committee of the wht.e then took up the other bill referred to it, by the title of " a bill regulating the pay ment of duties on merchandise import ed, and for other puposes." Some progress had been made in the debate; when An alarm of fire, in the city, induccd | the committee to rise (at 4 o'clock) and The house adjourned. Tuesday, April 25 On motion of Mr. Whitman, it was He tolved} That the committee on fo reign relations he instructed to inquire into the expediency of imposing a duty on Plaster of Paris imported from cer tain ports of the province of New Bruns wick to countervail a duty lately impos ed by the legislature of that province on thvt article when exported from certain other parts of the same province. THE TARirr AND HKVKNUt BILLS. The house again resolved itself into a committee of the whole, Mr. Taylor in the chair, on the bills concerning the duties on imports and the mode of their collection The bill now under consideration, is the bill regulating the payment of da ties on merchandise imported, and for other purposes. The question immediately before the house being on Mr. Silsbee's motion to strike out the first sectioaof the bill. Mr Baldwin and Mr. Trimble spoke in favour of the bill; and Mr. Johnson of Virginia and Mr. Whitman in oppo sition to it. There was then some conversation on the propriety of reporting the bill for increasing the duties on imports forth with, that it might be finally acted on, and, if it passed this house, that it might be before the senste whilst the discus sion was going on here on the bill now under consideration, for requiring cash payments on certain duties, and on the other bill before the same committee, for imposing a duty of 10 per cent, on the amount of sales at auction. Nothing, however, was finally settled on this head. The house adjourned at half past 3 o'clock. Wednesday, April 26. Mr. Southard, from the committee on Indian affairs, to whom was referred an inquiry into the expediency of re pealing the act making provision for the civilization of the Indian tribes adjoin ing our frontier settlements (passed at the last session) reported, that, in their opinion, it is inexpedient at this time to repeal that law. And the report was ordered to lie on the table. Mr. Silsbee, from the committee on naval affairs, reported, without amend ment, the bill from the senate, for au thorising the building of a certain num ber of small vessels of war. Mr. Anderson, from the land com mittee, reported, without amendment, the joint resolution, referred to them, for establishing the boundary line be tween the state of Ohio and the territo ry of Michigan. The question being stated on ordering the resolve to be en grossed ? Mr. Brush moved to lay the resolve on the table, desiring time to examine it, not having been, from accident, pre sent when the resolve was first moved. This motion gave rise to a short de bate, in which it was opposed by Mr. Anderson, Mr. Woodbridge and Mr. Sloan, on the ground of the lateness of the session, and the improbability that, if laid on the table, it would be again taken up at the present session. It was supported by Mr. Ross and Mr. Brush, on the ground that the line proposed by the resolve was not the proper line, but would be injurious to the interests of the state of Ohio, without being at all bene ficial to Michigan. It was important, it was admitted, that the line should now be established; but it was equally important, that, when it is established, it should be the proper line. The resolve was ordered to lie on the table, by a vote of 60 to 44. The house again resumed the consi deration of the bill regulating the mode of collecting the duties on imports, kc. ? Mr. Silsbee *s motion to strike out the first section of tho bill being yet under consideration. Mr. Alexander, of Virginia, deliver ed his sentiments in favor of the motion. Mr. Archer, of Virginia, followed, also a considerable length, in support of the motion. Mr. Clay (speaker) in a speech in support of the bill, occupied the re mainder of the usual time of sitting. When, after explanatory observations between Mr. Clay and Sir. Smith of Maryland, the committee rose, and The house adjourned. Thur*d*y, April 27. Mr. Smith, from the committee of ways and means, reported a bill making appropriations for carrying into effect the treaty lately concluded with the Chippewa nation of Indians; which was twice read and committed. The bill from the senate " to continue in force 1 an act to protect the com merce of the United States, and punish the crime of piracy; and also to make further provision for punishing the crime of piracy," was twice read, and referred to a committee of the whole. The bill from the senate, to establish ccrtain land offices in the state of Ala bama, (so amended in this house as to , include al-vo Indiana and Illinois,) was read a third time, passed, and returned to the senate for concurrence in the amendments. TIIF. TARIFF BII.L.' The house a^ain resolved itself into a committee of the whole on the bill re gulating the duties on imports, Mr. Taylor in the chair. [ It was this bill, and not the cash duty bill, as inadver tently stated, which was debated yester day, and was opposed by Mr. Alexander and Mr. Archcr, of Virginia, and sup ported by Mr. Clay.] The question being on the commit tee's rising and reporting the tariff bill to the house ? the debate thereon was resumed. Mr. Barbour, of Virginia, delivered a spcerh of nearly three hours in length against the bill. Mr. Holmes, of Massachusetts, next delivered a speech of nearly two hours in length, also against the bill; when The committee rose and reported the bill to the house. Mr. llardin moved to postpone the bill indefinitely; and The house adjourned. # Fnda), April Mr. Newton, from I he committee on commerce, reported, without amend ment, the hill from the senate to grant certain privileges to the Ocean steam ship company of New York, and the bill, after some explanation of its object, by Mr. Newton, was ordered to a third reading. Mr. Archer, of Maryland, submitted the following amendment to the rules of the house, which lies on the table one day of course. m Every discussion on any bill, mo tion, or resolution, shall terminate in five days after it shall have commenced. "No member shsll speak upon any question longer than one hour at a time.'* Mr. Butler, of New Hampshire, sub mitted the following resolution for con side ration: Resolved, That the committee of ma nufactures be instructed to prepare an<l report a bill laying a duty of ?? ? cents on all spirituous liquors distilled from grain and other domestic materials. The question being taken whether the house would now consider the resolu tion, it was decided in the negative? ayes 58, noes 66. OVTIES ON IMPORTS. The house again took up the bill to regulate the duties on imports, and the amendments reported thereto hy the committee of the whole house; Mr. Hardin's motion to postpone the bill in definitely, being under consideration. Mr. Hardin, Mr. Lowndes and Mr. Sillsbee, of Mass. spoke in opposition to the bill, and Mr M'Lane of Del. and Mr. Baldwin in favour of it. Mr. Simpkins moved (hat the bill and amendments be postponed until the fii>t day of the next session; in favor of which motion Mr. Hardin withdrew his motion for indefinite postponement. Mr. Parker, of Va. then demanded the previous question, but the call *ts not sustained by a majority of the house. The question was then, about six. o'clock, taken on the motion to postpone the bill until the first day of the next session, and was decided in the negative .?yeas 79, nays 92. The amendments agreed to in com mittee of the whole were then concur red in by the house. Mr. Ldwards, of N. C moved to re duce the duty on imported salt frotn C5 cents to 20 cents a bushel. The yeas and nays being ordered cn this question, Mr. Metcaif moved for the previous question (the effect of which would be to decide forthwith the main question, viz. the engrossment of the bill for a third reading;) but the call was negatived, 7 1 to 60. The question was then taken on re ducing the salt duty, and decided in the affirmative ? yeas 93, nays 71. Mr. Hill of Massachusetts moved to amend the bill by reducing the duty on imported molasses from ten cents to five cents a gallon; on which motion the yeas and nays were ordered. Mr. Parker perceiving that all the amendments which had been discussed and rejected in committee of the whole would probably be again offered, and the time of the house occupied in the tedious process of deciding them again, by yeas and nays, moved again for the previous question. The call for the previous question was sustained by a vote of 86 to 62; and The previous question, *? shall the main question be now be put?" was stated accordingly, and was decided by yeas and nays, in the affirmative ? ayes 92, noes 71. The question was then at length ta ken on ordering the bill to be engrossed and read a third time, and decided in the affirmative ? yeas 90, nays 69. The house then (having rejected ten or twelve previous motions to adjourn, at various stages of the evening's pro ceedings) adjourned between 7 and a o'clock, after a sitting of mure thair din" hours. Saturday, A phi ?9. ?IMSUCT BANKS. The house took up the amendment of the senate to the bill concerning the banks of the district of Columbia. Mr. Mercer inovrd that the house disagree to the amendment; which mo tion was negatived, and then The house agreed to the amendment of the senate, without a division. Til F. TARIFF. The engrossed bill to regulate the duties on imports and tonnage, was read the third time. Mr. Baldwin remarked, that it would he recollected the bounty on pickled fish exported had been increased in com mittee of the whole, in consequence of an increase of the duty on imported salt ?the duty on salt had subsequently been reduced, but it had been omitted at the same time to make a corresponding change in the bounty on pickled fisli He presumed there could be no objec tion now to make this amendment, and moved that the house agree thereto by general consent, by which only an amend ment can be made to a bill in the house on the third reading. The motion was objcctcd tof *nd of course failed. Mr. Rhea then rose and spoke about an hour against the passage of the bill. Mr. Slocumb, of N. Carolina, moved to recommit the bill, with instructions to reduce the duty on imported iron in bars, fee. from 125 ccnts to 73 cent?.
The Durham Recorder (Durham, N.C.)
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May 10, 1820, edition 1
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