Gallant Attack on the City of Derry by Lieut. Morgan, of his Majesty's Schooner Barbara, with the assistance of the Boats of the Nepean Revenue Cutter.

On Friday, the 22d of May, the vessel, commanded by Morgan, appeared on the coast, and in the handsomest manner commenced a heavy and well-directed fire on the numerous fishing-vessels, filled with mere Irish, many of whom were made prisoners, and the others compeiled to retreat in all directions. The gallant officer then anchored in Moville Bay, where four outward bound vessels, belonging to the American rebels, were riding, and also filled with Irish rebels, who were as passengers, and supposed to be des tined to add to the industry and armies of the Trans-atlantic domocrats. A general and concerted attack commenced on the American ships, and in less than twenty minutes they were boarded by the British tars, without

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the loss of a single man. ting and drubbing every person on board, men, women, and children, the Captain ordered such of the Irish rebels as were not dangerously wounded to be sorted by his humane crew, and separated from their wives and chil dren, and to be removed into the schooner to add to the number of his shipmates, where he entertained some of them with several rounds of flogging to reconcile them to discipline. Many of our readers may differ from us by asserting Morgan is no enemy; for our part, we do not remember any enemy more entitled to the appellation, because Morgan committed a violence on our coast, and on our citizens, by his attack on our fishermen, not war. ranted, even though we were at war with England! An act if perpetrated on French or Dutch fishermen, would subject him to the severest punishment by the laws of his own country; and we see no reason why those laws would such marauders as well as French fishnot protect Irish fishermen against ermen.

The inhabitants and merchants of Derry have taken up the business in a peaceable manner, and have agreed to gan's war, against our countrymen, to make a polite representation of Mor the Duke of Richmond, and the English Admiralty.-We copy the following humble account of the com mencement of hostilities from the Derry Journal :—

We are sorry it has fallen to our lot to record one of the most wantos and diabolical outrages that ever dis graced a civilized country. On Friday last, his Majesty's armed schooner Barbara, commanded by a Lieutenant Morgan, appeared upon our coast, and commenced a series of the most cruel acts of oppression ever witnessed, by impressing a number of fishermen, a class of people respected and protected by all Governments, whether friends or foes. Next day the schooner came to an anchor in Moville Bay, where

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four outward bound American vessels had come to anchor with their legal compiement of passengers, in order to make the necessary arrangements previous to their proceeding to sea.— Lieutenant Morgan immediately commanded the boats of the Nepean Revenue cutter to his assistance, and sending a gang on board each of the American ships, had a great many of the passengers dragged from their births and conveyed on board the schooner, the crews of the boats committing every possible excess as they searched for the unfortunate men, who endeavoured to hide themselves in various parts of the ships. The distressing scene which presented itself on board the vessels, when families found their relations torn from them, can hardly be imagined, and is beyond our ability to describe. The news reached Derry late on Saturday night, but it gained no credit: no one would believe that such acts dare be attempted by any man in the service of the best of Kings, and the freest country on earth; it proved but too true, however, and never before did any occurrence excite so strong a sensation in this city. A meeting of the merchants was called at the Ballast Office, at one o'clock yesterday, but such was the general anxiety, that most of them were in attendence half an hour before the appointed time.

When the wished-for hour arrived, Adam Schoales, Esq. was unanimously called to the chair, and Mr. G. Foster stated to the meeting such parts of the disgraceful transaction as came within his knowledge. He had been at Moville for the purpose of transacting the business of the ship Bristol; and, on the evening of Saturday, being on shore, his attention was drawn to the ships in the bay, by the most heartrending cries of women and children. He wished to go on board the Bristol, but could not procure a boat, until about 10 o'clock, when the mate of the Mary came on shore and conveyed him to the Bristol. The first object which attracted his notice, was an old

woman of the name of Fulton, who had got two of her teeth knocked out, and two of her ribs broken by the hilt of a sabre while clinging to her son, as the ruffians were dragging him into the boat. boat. On Sunday, Mr. Foster went on board the schooner, accompanied by Captain Barker, of the Bristol.They begged leave to take down the names of the impressed passengers, that they might dispose of their clothes and property agreeable to their wishes, which was granted by Lieutenant Morgan. In the mean time two ma rines walked the deck with drawn sabres, which they frequently applied to the shoulders of the passengers. One unfortunate wretch, leaning over the bulwark, for the purpose of requesting one of the seamen, alongside, to send him his clothes from on board the Venus, to which he belonged, was perceived by the Lieutenant, and ordered to be started, and the order was immediately obeyed by the boatswain, who was repeatedly encouraged by Morgan to make him feel the rope's end, that he might learn what naval discipline was.

A lad of the name of Fulton corroborated Mr. Foster's statement, of what passed on board the Bristol. He is the son of the old woman who was so brutally treated, while endeavouring to save his brother. He feigned illness, and passed himself for the husband of his sister. Some of the schooner's men wished to pass him by, while others threatened to drag him out of his birth. One of them stabbed his bed with his cutlass, and laid it twice across his throat. They left him, for that time, however, and before the boat returned again, he had dressed in woman's cloathes, in which he escaped to the shore. He said he was thus separated from his family and friends, destitute of money and even clothes, and forced to see his livelihood by labour, to which he was unused. This young man's simple narrative sensibly affected the hearers.

Mr. W. M Colley witnessed a simi

lar

lar scene on board the Mary. He was himself ordered into the bout, but the Mate asserted that he was Supercargo of the Ship and nephew to the Captain, upon which he was allowed to reinain. Mr. Thomas Davenport said, that he conceived there was s fficient evil dence before the meeting, to warrant them in concluding that an act of unprecedented and unparalleled aggression had been committed; and, as there could not be a du bt that his Majesty's Government would be forward to res dress the injury, and compensate, as far as possible, the injured, he begged leave to move "That a committee of five he appointed, to frame Memorials to his Grace the Lord Lieutenant and Most Honourable Privy Council of Ireland, and to the Lords of the Admiralty, on the subject of the late imprisonment in this harbour."

Mr. Acheson Smyth said, that he conceived it better to request the Mayor to convene a Common-Hall, to take the subject into consideration. It was not a question confined to the Merchants alone; the Community at large were interested in it, and he thought that the whole city, and even the country, should publicly express their abhorrence of such an outrage. Besides, the memorial would go for. ward with greater weight from the Citizens at large, backed by the signature of the Mayor.

Mr. Davenport, in reply, said that the object of the Meeting was to obtain redress for the unfortunate sufferers, not to excite popular feeling, which was already sufficiently alive to the indignity which the liberties of the people had sustained; and as to the weight or respectability to be conferred by a Meeting, he thought very differently on the subject; the respective signatures of the respectable merchants of Derry, would be known and appreciated by many of those, to whom the Memorial would be addressed; and for his part, he had never seen a Town Meeting of half the respectability of that now assembled.

Mr. Macky, Mr. Nicholson, and the majority of the Meeting, were of opinion, that a memorial should be immediately forwarded from the persons then assembled; but, that a town meeting should afterwards be convened, agreeably to the ideas of Mr. Smith. A Committee of five was then ap pointed, to prepare the Memorial, which being read to the Meeting, met with universal approbation, and was ordered to be forwarded b Mr. Schoales, the Chairmsn, to his Grace the Lord Lieutenant, and to the Right Hon. Sir G. F. Hill, our city representative, for the purpose of having it laid before the Lords of the Admiralty.

CHANGE OF MINISTRY.

We have only time to congratulate our countrymen, that we have received intelligence, upon which we can implicitly rely, that the PRINCE REGENT has empowered our beloved and revered countryman, the EARL of Moma, of select from amongst the tried friends of the Constitution, the persons who are to be entrusted with the future Administration of these Kingdoms: We have no fears that this distinguished nobleman will neglect to make such immediate arrangements for our unhappy country, as shall justify the nobounded confidence which her true children have uniformly reposed in his attachment to their interests; nor do we see any reason to fear he may fail into error upon the subject of redressing our wrongs, in consequence of has being so long a resident in the sister country, as we are well convinced of the unalledged purity with which he will, if necessary, be advised by the unerring and unchangeable integrity of our illustrious patriot, the Right Hon. J. P. Curran, who is the only public man in Ireland who, with truth, may say, "I never raised my voice, er harboured a thought hostile to my dear country's rights."