Star. — London, England, 1819-10-19 00:00:00

HALF-PAY PURSERS OF HIS MAJSSTY'S NAVY. 1 ' I will call spon my Country in the spirit of humility, and she will graciously hear the voice of my supplication. Before England shall I pour out my wailing., and the prayer of her , servant will she not reject; because she delighteth in the cider that are good, and unfoldeth her ears to the plaints of Truth." TO THE EDITOR OF THE STAR. SlR—Seeing that the statement made by the gal lant Admiral, Sir GEORGE COCKBURN, in the Com mons House of Parliament, in the early part of June, ended in nothing, viz. " That regulations were in' progress which would place the Pursers-on a footing with Officers of equal rank in his Majesty's Navy;' and, besides, seeing that the memorable 12th of August, 1819, which assimilated the Services of the Navy and Army, passed away , like a sun shower 1 without meliorating, or even noticing, the wretchedly distressed state of the Half-pay Pursers ; I therefore beg leave, through the medium of your candid and impartial Paper, to lay the following Statement be fore the eyes of Great Britain, in the humble hope, that, in its unerring judgment, and in the sanctity of that divine sympathy which it has ever displayed in commiserating and alleviating the miseries of its dis tressed servants, tkat it may at once perceive how very unequally the unemployed Purser is provided for, and upon what an erroneous idea of Me ready ac cumulation of wealth his present Half-pay has Leen founded. The Statement I am now about to adduce has been extracted from the mean of several balance bills of Officers who have not been employed since the gene•, ral reduction of his Majesty's Navy, in 1815 ; and which mean may not be classed among the least of the balance bills for the first class sloops of war, viz. Mean of several Balance Bills for the year 1815 £135 10 6 Mean of ditto, ditto - 1814 128 12 8 Alean of ditto, ditto 1815 136 2 9 PA) , and compensation for the said roars Total From which is to be abated the amount of the following actual deductions, viz. Charged fir W.)rrant, on Appointment £2 Paid for Affidx:its to Accounts for the year 1 14 1 3 - - - - Fees of Orli7e fir pa sing Accounts for o 5 _ the year 1813 - - - 0 15 Ditto on balance Bill for the said year 2 2 Fees of Office fur Copy of Accounts for said year - - Charged by Agent for passing Accounts for said year - - - Charged by ditty for l'ostages and Car riage of P.ii - - - l'aid for AffitLeits to Accounts fur the year 1814 - - - - Fees of (Mee for passing Accounts for the said year - 0 15 Ditto on Balance Bill for the said year 2 2 Ditto for Copy of Accounts for the said year - - Charged by Agent for passing the Ac counts for said year - - Charged by dt:to for I'ostages and Car riage of Papers Paid for Affidavits to Accounts for the 11 O 5 year 1815 - - - Fees of Office for passing Accounts fur the said year - 0 15 6 Ditto en Balance Bill for the said year '2 3 0 Ditto for Copy of A ccounts for said year 0 15 b Charged by Agent for passing the Ac counts for said year - - Charged by ditto for Postages and Car riage of rapers - 1 14 8 Fees of Office Cur Slop Certificate t IS 0 Ditto for Tobacco Certificate 0 2 0 Ditto for Stamp for Pay - 0 4 6 Agency on .8646 Zs. 11d. at Two and a Half per Cent. - - 13 14 2 Paid Purser's Steward Three Years' Wages, at £2O per Annum - Mess Expenses for Three Years, at £6O per Annum • - 180 0 0 Naval Uniforms, and other necessary Clothing for Three Years 63 10 0 Boots, Shoes and Ilats, for Three Years 14 0 0 Shirts, Stockings, Handkerchiefs, Table Linen, &c. &e. - - 36 0 0 Washing Expenses for Three Years, at £l5 per Annum - UnavoidaSle Expenses in going on Shore • on Duty, and returning to the Ship in Shore Boats, at _C., p..tt. Annum 15 0 0—X478 5 10 10 0 60 0 0 45 0 0 Balance in favour of the Purser, after ThreeYears' servitude £69 18 In which may be seen the bulk and sum total of the talked-of accumulated wealth of the Purser, which, in the opinion of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, was to render his Half-pay equal to that of a Lieutenant or Master. And let it be re-' membered, that notwithstanding some Pursers may have been more fortunate, that there are many others who fiave been so unsuccessful as to be barely able to steer clear of incurring a debt to the Crown.— With this sum, then, viz. £69 18s. Scl. the Purser is to furnish himself with clothes befitting his rank in society, and commence a new epoch in life, by pay ing house-rent and taxes, and providing himself with the sustenance necessary for the support of human nature; the first six months of which leaves him without a single shilling beyond the sorrowful Halt pay of 2s. l lid. per day—and with this trifle he is expected to maintain inviolable the dignity of an Officer holding rank with a Captain in the Army! Now, as the foregoing Statement has been deduced from the balance bills of the first class sloops of war, it will be readily seen, that Pursers of smaller vessels, such as the second or third class sloops, must have balance bills of a considerable less amount in their favour; : , nd hence the impossibility of their funding any money, or saving a single penny more than what a junior Lieutenant or Master may do. But while, the latter Officers are placed (most deservedly) on the liberal scale of allowance of ss. per day, the Purser, like the HEIR of CREATION, is dispossessed of his birthright, and cast out on the world's wide stags with little more than half that sum for his daily support; and, what renders his situation still more galling, is the painful reflection, that he has not a chance, nay, not the slightest hope, of being employed again, on the present Naval Establishment, for the full term of 18 years ; because, there are 864 Pursers on the List, and, of that number, only 118 are employed at a time, and that for a three years' spell. But mark the difference of the remuneration Made to those Officers. ' For the said 18 years of employment, the Purser may receive 936 guineas ; whilst a Master, or Lieutenant, though 15 years junior to him, is sure of receivin& no less a sum than 1,642 10s.! ! ! this difference is so unconscionably glaring, and presses so hard against the comforts, and vital interest of the Purser, that it can never fail of exciting the glow of a generous in dignation in the countenance of every unprejudiced person who enters into its consideration. Oh! it is a heart-rending reflection, and the depth of melancholy dwells in its contemplation, that, after having served the Country faithfully for a series of years, that the Purser is to be ultimately abandoned, cast a-drift, and left a prey to want, to penury, and haggard wretchedness! And that, after living on terms of intimacy and friendship, and enjoying, for years, the pleasing society of his jovial mess -mates, yet, in a few weeks after being so cast a-drift, he finds himself no longer able to associate with them, though often living in the store neighbourhood. No longer able to support the dignity of 'a rank se justly conferred upon him, and as justly merited, he broods, in rueful meditation, over his ill-fated doom : and now, ashamed of his tattered garments, the thread-bare remains of his former greatness, he im mures himself in the obscure shade of gime less than half furnished, and half illumed corner; where, like the solitary owl on the north side of the ivyed elm, the genial rays of the enlivening sun can seldom shine upon him ; and, from whence * in further like ness of that unsocial bird of night, he silent strolls, at dusk, and pensive treads the lonely untrod way, friendless and pennyless, during the still hours of kindly gloom. Oh ! ill-timed rank ! what art thou, and what evil is this that thou bast done? Alas ! thou art no more than a vain, empty nothing, of less value than the fleeting shadow, and of no more avail • than the gaudy bow of HEAVEN, that lures the eye and grasp, but never can be caught !—a shallow dig ' nity, that, in an evil hour, deprived the Purser of the asylum afforded him by a Ship in Ordinary; and now involves, in endless misery, and tumbles headlong from the desponding precipice of the down-hill of hope, the principal part of the unemployed Pursers of his Majesty's Navy. But, oh, my Country! 0, England! thou brightest gem in creation, cf this gross partiality I freely ab , solve thee ! the blame of such a grievous oversight rests not with thee—it sprung from mistake, and ori ginated in the error of thoughtlessness, which, till now, thod knewest not. Oh ! Arbitress of Nations'! thou that boldest the balance of empires in one hand, and poiseth the justice of impartiality in the other! thou Mistress of the Universe and pride of Naval Glory ! that sittest triumphant on the proud height of Ocean's wave, and that delightest not in the scourge of Oppression, suffer not thy servants to be thus so harshly dealt with! In thy Senates, in the Councils of the wise, and in the august presence of thy most auspicious PniNcE and well chosen RECENT, assert the rights of these thy faithful servants, and place them on the equitable footing of remuneration with those of thy other Naval servants of equal rank : for which the lisping babe shall learn to bless thee, and, in maturer years, to magnify thee in the song of gratitude; whilst the GoD of CREATION shall shield illy sea-girt Isles from foreign foes, and, in the wrath of his indignation, confound the machinations of such as may dare to conspire against thy internal peace ! And now the expectant, poor, but honest, Half-pay , Purser, remains as before PHILOMATII. TO THE EDITOR OF THE STAR. Sin—The Public, with their wonted generosity, have espoused the interests of Mr. ELLISTON, in his great undertaking, to restore the fallen and faded character of Drury-Lane Theatre ; and hitherto there has been no reascn to think that generous disposition unworthily indulged. But, a Letter has appeared in one of the Morning Papers, signed by a Mr. W. so remarkable, that Mr. E. for his own sake, ought ex plicitly to . state, whether the Literary Productions offered for representation, are subjected to the decision of that individual ?-1 ILtire been informed that a printed Letter is sent to the Authors of rejected Pietes and, in some instances, this may give offence; but, in principle, it is not objectionable, as it places all on the same footing. The language, however, of that printed Jam, has been animadvefted on as particu larly ill-conceived ; and, doubtless, it cannot be other wise, if it is the production of the aforesaid Mr. W. Mr. EL LISTON has a great stake at present in the risk he has incurred ; and the Public are warmly dis posed to support him ; but he had better keep the learned Mr. W. behind the scenes ! October 16, 1819. PH I LO-DRA MATICUS. DRYRY-LANE.-.-Mr. O'Kitess's Opera of Fontairi bleau, was last night revived at this Theatre. In addition to the spirited acting of their old favourites, the Public were introduced to a new candidate for their protection. The name of the debutnnt is MOR• DAUNT. He played Colonel Epaulette, in a style of excellence which was sanctioned by the most encou raging testimonials of approbation from all parts of the House. In the musical department, an unusual degree of strength was called into action. au:- TaN's Lackland equalled his most happy performances. BUTLER, who lately made a successful debut in Dan die Dinmors, was the Sir John Bull, and acquitted himself very respectably in that character. The House was full. COVENT-GARDEN.—The Tragedy of Alexander the Great was acted last night, for the purpose of bringing forward a Mr. AMHERST in the character of, the Macedonian hero. This Gentleman, some years ago, made his appearance at the Haymarket Theatre, but failed to produce a very favourable impression on the Town. In the present instance he has not' been more fortunate. In the second and third acts he received some applause. Hisses and laughter in terrupted the fourth and fifth ; and though in the' mad scene he for a moment arrested the mirth of his persecutors, and obtained a loud round of general applause, he again became the object of opposition, and closed his performance amidst hisses, which greatly predo m i na t e d over th e approbation bestowed. —Mr. MACREADY sustained the character of Clytus with very great effect. The haughty and revengeful Boxana derived appropriate importance from the powers of Mrs. BUNN ; and the fond, but ill-fated &afire, found an interesting neprecentathe in Mrs. FAUCIT. 149 18 0 X 5-111 3 11 0 13 10 10 1 11 0 5 0 13 10 10 LATI .7 INTELLIGENCE. COURT OF KING'S BENCH, OCTOBER le. FULHAM AND OTHERS, ASSIGNEES OW WILCOX, W. AUSTIN. This was an action upon a Bill of Exchange for £250, drawn on the 14th June, 1816, upon, and ac cepted by the defendant, payable one month after date, and indorsed to the bankrupt. The usual prima facie case against the acceptor of a bill of exchange having been proved, The following case was proved on the part of the defendant :—The defendant's brother, who is a Cap tain in the West Middlesex Militia, having occasion 'to procure a sum of £225 to complete some regi mental payments, applied to an advertising money lender named Neil, in the neighbourhood of-Golden square, to " raise the wind.' On this occasion he was accompanied by a brother Officer, a Captain Chambers. Mr. Neil.agreed to supply his wants, by doing a bill for £3OO, accepted by the defendant, and indorsed by Captain Chambers, provided the names and references were satisfactory, on condition that the defendant should take one-third of the amount in goods. This hitter part of the proposition was ob jected to by Captain Austin, inasmuch as he wanted money and not goods. It was then proposed that a hill should be drawn for £275, and that Captain Austin should take goods to the amount of £so. Samples of wine, tea trays, and buttons, were pro duced, and it was agreed that this arrangement should be adopted, the defendant's brother taking £5O worth of buttons. The bill was accordingly drawn by —, accepted by the defendant, and indorsed by Captain Chambers ; and Captain Austin was desired on a subsequent day to call for the mo ney and goods, provided the parties to the bill were found good on inquiry. Accordingly, on the appoint ed day, Mr. Austin and Mi. Chambers attended at Mr. Neil's office, when the latter introduced to them a person by the name of Wilcox, who was to discount the bill. The sum of £225 was produced by the latter, and Mr. Neil handed forth, from under his counter, a large quantity of buttons, stated to be worth £5O. Captain Austin hesitated in taking this part of the produce of the bill, expressed a wish to know what could be done with it, and protested that the buttons were of no use to him. Mr. Neil said, that they might be re-sold, but told him that he must expect to lose at least £25 upon the transaction. Mr. Austin expressed his astonishment at this infor mation, and his friend Captain Chambers earnestly implored him not to take the money on such terms, if he could possibly do without it. Upon which the person introduced by the name of Wilcox said, that the buttons were the most important part of the transaction, and that but for them the bill could not !lave been done by him. I'll the result Capt. Austin took the £225, but left the buttons at Mr. Neil's dis posal. The defendant, who is a tradesman in the lace way, never received a farthing of the produce of his acceptance. When the bill became due it was dis honoured, and Mr. Neil proposed that it should be renewed by a bill made by the same parties for£29s, so as to cover accumulated interest, and commission, &c. To this proposal all the parties acceded, except Mr. Chambers, who refused to indorse it. This bill was also dishonoured, and on the bankruptcy of Mr. Wilcox, the indorsee, both bills devolved upon his assignees, by whom the present action was brought. The case set up in reply on the part of the plaintiff was, that Mr. Wilcox was an utter stranger to Mr. Neil, the money lender ; that it was a bona, de trans action, in which the former, as a respectable trades man in the furnishing ironmongery line, had dis counted the bill, in consideration of the sale of £5O worth of buttons at a fair and regular price—that he had no privity with Mr. Neil—that he was not the person present at the interview described by the de tendant's witnesses, but that it was a Mr. Valentine, a Japan ware manufacturer, of Clerkenwell, who, how ever, it was admitted, was his agent in the business. To prove the counter case so set up, Mr. Wilcox, the bankrupt, was examined, but Mr. Valentine was not forthcoming. Mr. GURNEY and Mr. SCARLETT severally address ed the Jury on the part of their respective clients. The CHIEF JUSTICE charged the Jury, that the question for them to decide was, whether Mr. Wilcox, through the agency of Mr. Valentine, wilfully lent his aid to Mr. Neil in a transaction glaringly founded in usury ? If they should be of opinion that he did soy, the defendant would be entitled to a verdict, other.' wise it ought to be for the plaintiff.—The Jury im mediately found a Verdict for the Defendant. BIRD V. WILLAN AND OTHERS. This was an action against the Proprietors of the Stroud (in Gloucestershire) Stage-coach, brought by the Plaintiff to recover compensation for the expense he had incurred, in consequence of an injury sustained by his wife, who, as an outside passenger, was thrown off the said coach and had her collar-bone broken. The case proved on the part of the plaintiff was this r.--The plaintiff is a glass-cutter by trade, and his wife keeps an oil-shop. On the 17th of October, 1817, the latter was an outside passenger on the de fendant's coach, coming The from Stroud, in Gloucester shire. coach had its ordinary complement of passengers, and was going at a moderate pace. When it got within a few miles of Abingdon, on the other side from London, the axle-tree of the fore-wheels broke, the coach was upset, and the plaintiff's wife being thrown with great violence on the ground, had her collar-bone broken, and received other serious , injuries. She was afterwards removed in a postH chaise to Abingdon, where she remained for several days, until she could safely be removed to London. The expense of her medical attendance and other in cidentals, amounted to about £54, for which sum the present action was brought, exclusively of an ac tion for the personal suffering, in which both hus band and wife must be joined. Several witnesses were examined to prove this case, the substance of whose evidence was to the effect above stated. Mr. SCARLETT, on the part of the defendants, con tended, that in point of law, a coach-owner was not answerable for all possible accidents. The utmost for which he was liable was culpable negligence, by which mischief ensues. A. coach-owner was not bound to provide a carriage which would meet every possible hazard; it was stacient thit he used a rea sonable care in providing a vehicle sufficient for the ordinary contingencies of a journey. He should prove that such care bad been takeu by Mr. Willan ; that his coaches were built upon the stro t2est struction ; that at the termi nat i on of eve“ . ! i his coache; were examined, and eve n , mec :,.. taken to avoid accidents ; t h at i n the Pa:tktiar stance, such examination had taken place before commencement of the journey, and that ti.e a ec i arose from a casualty not within the po werab foresight to avoid. In the course of the evidence, on the p ut d plaintiff, it appeared, that when the all etret examined, after the accident, there were th e of a previous fracture in the same part; and • when the coach broke down, it was only su p by one-third of the original thickness of the ark. Several witnesses were examined to supp, rt case of the defendant ; and froni their tenniuil, appeared that Mr. Willan had adopted t':e cautious means of rendering his coaches sat e , free from the liability to accident. The g uar d put into the box by the defendant's Counsel, in r sequence of the challenge of Mr. GrinNEY ; and, his cross-examina:ion, by the latter Gentlenw, denied that he had told some of t h e passenger % a , the accident had happened, that Le had been watchi the wheels all the way, and that he knew the was broken before the coach left Stroud. h particulars he was expressly contradicted by t witnesses. Mr. SCARLETT and Mr. GURNEY Severally add. sed the Jury upon the evidence. The CHIEF JUSTICE, after recapitulating to dence, charged the Jury, that the question fcr decision was, whether the accidert happened in sequence of the defective state of the axletree, the defendant's servants, with proper and real° diligence, might have avoided ? If they fowlt due diligence had not been used for this purpose, plaintiff was entitled to a verdict ; but if on the trary, they thought no blame was imputable is respect, tile defendants ought to have a vercict. The Jury found for the Piairitiff—Damage s iii .ARK-LANE, OCT. 19. :ES AS UM,E9t: Small liesos Tiek ditto -6; Oats, Putatoe Feed or s Flour, per Sack... ,CI Rape - iced, per Last FOILLIGN. Wheat, Danteic...... Baltic Red, liambru' or Bremen, Brabant red G?ti! N in Fngland and Wraeo week ending Oct. 9, 1911 Oar. I Beans. I Pe.* s. d. b. cL :.1 2.5 8 47 7 49 CORN MARKET, M. (Walla:NT 1.1,1C1 ZCLIJI. Wheat, Kent and Essex - 64. 70i Suffolk » 64s 78s Norfolk ....... Gds Rye (New) 34s 36s Barley ...es °Bs 3ds • Malt 685 72. White Peas s6s 44s Boilers .. 30* 56s Grey Peas .......... . l6O SOs AVERAGE PRICES of CO] tie Returns received in th 4 Wheat I Rye. i Barley. s. d. s. d. s. d. 66 11 4 1 1 2 58 6 NEWG ATI: am) LEADESIIALL M ETS,OCT.:i (By the Carcase.) Beef Ss 8d to 4s 44 I Veal .........5; 03 to r. Manua 4s Sd to Ls 44 Pork ss 4d to Lamb, 4. Sd to Ss Od. PRICES or HAY sus STRAW ESTER s 4. JAMES'S. IA 11111CCHAIIL Hay 41 Os Od to 61 Os Od Hay... 41 134 to Straw 11 ♦s Od to 11 10s Od Straw 11 lOs to 111_ ClovrrOl Os Od to 01 Os Od Clover 71 Os to LI C COAL MARKET, OCTOSiR IS. Ships at Market. Ships Sold. P:ke. 594 Newcastle S 5 Ztis .5d to s:i 25 Sunderland 19 7.6 s 6d to 44; c 1 Stone Coal 1 Os ud to "01 WiTHILL Hoe Faia.—The number of pockets in the . rows exceeded last year upwards of 300 pockets ; those . Worcester, Sussex, F.asex, and Kent, were not so numetz , has been known, though there were many fine samplei of respective Counties. Surrey still keeps the lead as to Farnham., which were also more numerous than list yee, about 300 pockets, settled down from /' 3 l2s. to £6 Es cwt. which induced the country rows to sell at ft om 4 0 X 5 12s. The quantity of country Hops pitched this rem 7,352 pockets ; Farnham', 3,000 ditto. The quantity ph last year WU, Country, 7,040 pockets ; Ftu nhams, 2.600._ MARRIED. At Haßride, Roxburghshire, the lath Inst. William • Esq. Deputy Commissary-General of the Forces, to Anne,tl' daughter of John Wilson, Esq. of Halirule. On the I.Sth ult. at Perpignan, near Toulouse, the V Chesnel, Lieutenant-Colonel of the Legion of Light Infanm the Pyrenees Orientales, to Alary Louisa, tide t daLz:ltr Brigadier-General Sir Samuel Bentham, R.S.G. of Berry Lok At Kirkby Stephen, Ferdinand Rodari, a travelling Itale to Mies Jane &ephenson. Saturday, at Hackney, Lieutenant Charles Hensley. R I Louisa hlargaretta, second daughter of Joseph Echalaz, Clapton, Middlesex. DIED. At Edinburgh, on the 9th inst. Major-Gen. Dewar, of CI At the manse of Aberlady, on the 2d inst. the Rey. AC' Kemp, minister of that parish. On the 9th instant, in Bedford-row, aged 53, Lady Burro the wife of the Hon. Justice Burrough. Tuesday sennight, at Nun Appleton, aged 84, lower II- Esq. agent to Sir William Mordaunt 31ilner. At Madras, on the 6th April last, William Campbell, L third son of R. Campbell, Esq. of Helentonmalits. On the loth ult. at Brighton, aged 60, Mrs. Musters. the" of John Musters, Esq. of Nottinghamshire, in early life and many years one of the most celebrated beauties in Engird. On the 3d inst. at Birmingham, Sarah, eldest daughter of ' late Rev. Thomas Bagnall, A.M. of Droitwich, Wurees!erthiee. Friday, at the Three Cups Inn, Oxford, in the '39th year 1 his age, chard Reade, Esq. of the county of Kilkenny, Ire one of the Gentlemen who were on the Old Cheltenh.arn which was overtutned on the Bth inst. at Botley turnpike. death was occadosed by the bruises he then received. .AL Reade was on his wayro Ireland from London. Os the llth instant, at the Nunnery Farm, near the F. 21 Bridgwater's, Mr. Choppin, jun. son of Mr. Choppih, of I 3 ' mont-green, Cheshunt. He had taken the farrii, and tke agrz: • were to meet at ten o'clock tovalue the stock, and give pour" About nine, he said he would amuse himself for an tun - , requested Mrs. Sander:, the tenant, to lend him a gun. In se little time he shot a pheasant,re-loaded his gun, and p:rsrd • . ` bird, which Sew to a dale a few paces distant. In par-os hedge, the trigger came in contact with some Warr, the I , i‘ went off, and the contests passed through his head. Bir de' was instantaneous; he was in his 30th year. Lately, at Badcombe, Dorset shire , John Dicker, aged"' 70 or 130 years he was employed as earth-stopper to the differ? packs of hounds which have bunted in the western part , ' county ; and although in his latter days he was unable to per , his duty, be was frequently remembered by a liberal subscripn a from the Gentlemen of the present Hunt , by whom he buried. A number of old sportsmen attended the fu neral. Friday, aged 102, John Milner, of the Bank in L eed.. to served 37 years in the Army, and received a pension for yez,ll. MAILS OM DAY--ARR. DLL Dublin - 1 0 j Lisbon • Waterford 10 i France Guernsey and Jeney 0 1 'Newburgh Holland 0 1 Gottenburilt Flanders- 1 0 Malta , ---___. o'• 0 n. - i 1 1 u '' 0- 0 0 4411-WATILIt at LONDON BRIDGE TOISORROW. *Waft . - 40 rigautta after 2 Afternoon - - 57 Loipoi ' Peintsd and published by Lynx. Kiri, rickt 3- 11acr, i { t 1~ ~ RI II