Star. — London, England, 1809-12-11 00:00:00

On Friday and Saturday about £l6OO in guineas and half-guineas, intended for exportation, were soi/cd in the River, and carried to the Bank ! it is reported that to remedy the present scarcity of specie the Bank mean to issue Ten-shillirrg note:. To can this a remedy is the height of absurdity. It will %Icre:ise the evil. We owe the present scarcity of loin to the increase of paper—an increase which has absolutely brought paper-money to a discount—We say to a discount, for no other name can with truth b e applied to a currency which has brought us to that state, that we cannot receive a guinea inexchange for a pound-note and one shilling. This fact we remember well, and all our Readers who have lived long enough must remember it, that when £lO notes were the lowest issued, the minimum o f gold in every man's pocket, when he went out to transact business, was nine guineas, to enable him to give change. When £5 notes made their appearance, the maximum of gold in the pocket instantly fell to four guineas—and when we were blessed with £1 p a per ! we ceased to be obliged to carry more gold than two reven-shilling pincer ! or three pieces of silver of the value of four shillings and sixpence each, by t!..e magical effect of a coining press made to pass for lye shillings If this system be persisted in the country must be ruined. COIENT-GARDEN THEATRE. The Exile was again performed on Saturday night at this Theatre. The merits of YOUNG, as Daran, are well known. MUWDEN and Lisvme, in their respec tive characters of Governer of Siberia and Baron 1/Itra d?", gave great satisfaction ; and the exquisite execu tion of Mrs. DIMON*, as Katherine, can ‘ aever fail to excite admiration. Mr. EGERTON improves; his Could ifirick of Saturday was much superior to that of Wed nesday week. Till half price both the pit and gal lery were very thin, and the boxes by no means crowd ed. Till this period also the performance met with little interruption; but immediately on the admission of the half price the usual uproar commenced with unabated vigour. A horn was repeatedly blown with much dexterity, and always served as a rallying .sig_ nal to the 0. P.'s whose flagging or worn-out exer tions it never failed to reanimate. A variety of pla cards were exhibited. Although many of them were very indecent, and were directed patticularly to the notice of the private boxes, and cou4l not fail to have been seen by them, they had not the effect of" a no tice to quit" on the female tenants of those boxes. Among others, we observed the following, which ex the most enthusiastic bursts of applause : " The Boxkeeper in the wrong Box." B. C. Y. Be Courageous, xYaiacl MUST Yield. A r.ue silk standard was also ]foisted in great style, with the following inscription in gold letters! " In a public 'rift acre, the public voice is the best law." One of the small placards, after being handed about tlic Pit, was tl.row•n on the Stage, while Mr. MUNDEN Ns as pet forming, and several voices called out to Mum. t.EN to take it up, which, however, he passed unno fced. Another, instead of reaching the Stage, fell illto the Orchestra, and was picked up by one of the Band, in whose custody it immediately disappeared. rctwe2n the Play and the Farce of the Portrait of Cer vantes, the Pit gave several cheers and groans, in which many in the Galleries, and several in the Boxes joined. The 0. P. dance and song occasionally in tervened, with GOD save the King, and Rule Bri tannia, which were very generally joined in by the Gallery. Two figures in female habits, one of whom was supposed to be a man, were introduced to our notice by a general call of " hats off, clear the way for the 0. P. ladies." A passage down the centre of the pit was accordingly cleared, and the " 0. P. ladies" were conducted backwards and forwards in triumph. They affected great bashfpiness always at slatting ; but when they had warmed themselves into their walk, they strided over the benches with prodi gious activity. _ _ _ - Towards the beginning of the Farce, his Royal I lighness the Duke of GLOUCESTER entered the Ma tagei's Box, on the right of the stage, and being no ticed by several of the 0. P.'s in the pit, they made a rush to the front, and taking off their hats, hailed his appearance with loud cheers. His Royal High ness, looked towards the audience, bowed to the pit, when being more generally observed, plaudits i•.sued from every part of the house. Several of the 0. P.'s then called out, " Three cheers for the Duke rf GLOCCFSTER !" when boxes, gallery, and pit, all .fined till the house shook. His Royal Highness rain bowed to the audience, and the 0., P.'s struck up " GOD save the Kism," of which they sung two arses, and concluded with three cheers, in which many in the boxes joined,waving their hats in triumph. The 0. P.'s then gave a vigorous and animated .pecimen of the 0. P. song and dance, at the close of which his Royal Highness bowed and retired. The noisy warfare was afterwards carried on with great rigour. A person with a large false nose and a coun sellor's wig, created much risibility. He wore occa 'Jonally also a white night-cap, and appeared some times to converse with another who had a red hand iterchief tied round his head. Towards the end of tie Farce, a desperate fray took place in consequence of in attempt on the part of ten or twelve constables, to take out, as we supposed, the masked figure. Their utempt, however, was fruitless, and, after a good deal of scuffling and brandishing of batons on the one side, and sticks on the other, the police were obliged to retire. A Gentleman had his head very much cut by one of the constables, and another person was forced out by them, but afterwards let go, he not bring one of the persons they intended to seize. After the dropping of the curtain the usual cheers and groans were repeated, and the false nose was again exhibited with the white night-cap, but whether by the same pe rs on or not we know not. He had round his shoulders the additional drapery of the O. P. handkerchief, and was attended by bis brother Momus in the red handkerchief, used as a hood, displaying tot re of the ridiculous than graceful. The O. P.'s then marched out to their favourite air, and were greeted with loud cheers by the spectators.without, of whom curiosity had assembled a very great number. Bow-s - ritcyr.—nn Saturday evening TV:llia in Champion Was brought to the Odle.: from Covent-garden Theatre, charged by Mr. James Brandon, who said that on the conimencentri‘t of the half-price, he saw the prisoner, with several others, running about the pit, and causing a great noise and disturbance. Ordered to find bail, which he accordingly did. Jo!:n Lord, one of the pattole, was brought to the office, In the custody of Mr. Thomas Lee, a coach-maker, of Poland-street, Oxford -street, on a charge of cutting his head open. The Magis trate inquired who the parties were, and finding Lord to be one of the patrole belonging to the Office, took his charge against Mr. Lee. Lord stated, that there was a great disturbance in the pit of Covent-garden Theatre, and finding it necessary to go in to assist in taking some of the persons into custody, he followed Taunton and others of the patrole belonging to the Office, when the pri soner seized hold of his staff, and pulled him from the upper part of the pit towards the orchestra, and tried to wrest his staff from him, but which he was net able to accomplish. The prisoner having told several persons that he had struck him on his head, they assisted him in seizing the witness again, when he was pulled down a second time towards the orchestra, against a number of people. By the violent conduct of the prisoner, he was separated front the party of the patrole he went into the pit with, and he understood the person they went into the pit with an intention of securing, was not taken into custody. John Smith, one of the conductors of the patrole, said, there was a great disturbance in the pit, when he went in with a num ber of others, to take into custody one of the principals in the disturbance; but they were prevented from taking any of them; and he, and the other patrole, were completely separated by the' confusion that took place, and the apprehension of any of them was rendered impossible. He was, after the separation from the patrole, forced down the pit, against the people in the orchestra, where he saw Lord and the prisoner, who had Lord fast by the collar, and saying Lord had struck him on the head. Lord, at the same time was calling for assistance. A general fight with sticks, with the persons round them then took place. Sticks were flourished over their heads and other parts, and he thought Lord was in danger. He then found several of the patrole, and they went to Lord's assistance ; the prisoner still keeping hold of him. Mr. Lee then made his charge against Lord. He addressed Mr. Graham at considerable length, with the back part of his head in a bleeding state, which he was obliged to keep wiping with his handkerchief. He stated that he went into the pit for the first time, to accompany aft lend who hart lately come from Lisbon ; they were at the back part of the pit, when he ob served a number of parsons rushing in, and having heard so much of the persons coming in at halt-price, he supposed it was the half-price audience entering, but it proved to be the prisoner, and others belonging to the office. There was a great noise, but In which neither he nor his companion took any part. The prisoner and his companions rushed forcibly into the pit, and endeavoured, by force, to make their way into the middle of the pit, for what purpose lie did not know, when the prisoner attacked him in a violent manner, and gave hint a severe blow with a staff or stick, on the hack part of his head, which cut his head open, and this violence was committed upon him by the prisoner, without his speaking to him, or doing any action to cause it, upon which he seized the prisoner's staff or stick, and endeavoured to force it out of his hands to prevent his doing the like again. He said he was determined to defend himself as an Englishman for the violence that had been committed upon hint. He had served the office of constable himself, and be knew the duty of it, and l:e was con vinced the prisoner was no constable, and he was determined to make an example of him, by prosecuting him with the utmost rigour of the law. _ Mr. GRAHAM admitted them both to bail, on their own recog nizance of £2O each. Mr. Lee said, that in bringing the prisoner to the Office from the Theatre, he was kicked and struck in different parts of the back of his body, which he supposed to have been done by several of the patrole belonging to the Office, who followed him, but he could not prove it. Mr. GRati ant assured him, if he could prove it they should be severely punished. A gentleman, whose name was not asked, addressed the Ma. gistrate, but he being afflicted with an unfortunate impediment in his speech, only the substance of what he said could be heard, which was, that he had been to Covent-garden Theatre, and was perfectly peaceable, when he was attacked by a man with a staff in his hand, who struck him in a violent manner with his staff on his temple, which cut it open. He gave evident proof of it, as his left temple was very much cut, and the blood was running down in a stream, while he was addressing the Magistrate. This violence was committed without his giving the least provocation. He was fearful he bad no redress-, as he did not know who the man was. Mr. GRAII Am told him if he discovered him at any future time Ise could have a warrant for him. Another Gentleman made a complaint of being violently as saulted by a man in the pit, and applied for an officer to go with him to apprehend the party. Mr. GRA Lin st told him twat could not be done without a war rant, and the complainant did not know whu the man was. LAIP INTELLIGENCE. COURT OF KING'S BENCH, DEC.% BOYD V. WHITE. The ATTORNEY GENERAL, on the part of the plain tiff, said he regretted that it became his duty to pre sent to the Jury another case of criminal conversation, which, though it certainly was not attended with all those aggravations which were attached to the case of the day before, would nevertheless entitle the plain tiff to exemplary damages, for the injury he had suf fered. The Plaintiff was descended from the Noble family of Kilmarnock, a Scottish Earldom, which was forfeited at the rebellion, in 171.5 ; and held a respectable situation in the Customs. In the year 1806, he married the daughter of Mr. Hyde, an apo thecary at Lambeth ; he was then '23 years of age, and the lady 16. The Plaintiff and his wife lived togster-in perfect happiness, till within the last six meiAs ; the husband being, if he had any fault, only too indulgent to the wife. The Defendant was a merchant ' • his Counsel said only a merchant's clerk. Be it so. He had, however, ample means of becom ing a principal, whenever he should be so inclined, being possessed of property sufficient to enable him to keep a servant and horses, which every body knew were not maintained with a very moderate income : but whether this were the case or not, he had assum ed the appearance of it ; and having under this sem blance corrupted his neighbour's wife, he must suffer for it accordingly. The Learned Attorney General did not mean to say, however, that this case was at tended withtheaggravation of a violation of the rights of hospitality. About four months ago, the Plaintiff observed a change in the manner and deportment of his wife, which led him to suspect that all was not as it should be, and accordingly procured leave of ab sence from the Custom house Board, pretending that he had occasion to go into the country for a few days. He actually went, however, no farther than to the house of a friend, where he could watch his wife's movements. This was on the 7th of September last. The wife affected to the husband to be inconsolable at his absence ; but on the very next day, she was seen by a person whom the Plaintiff had set to watch her, walking in the New Buildings behind Gray's Inn lane, with the Defendant, upon whose arm she hung. The Plaintiff was at this time unacquainted with the Defendant, who lived in Millman -street, in a house which could be seen from the Plaintiff's in Sidmouth street. They met again on the same evening at seven o'clock, as it should seem, by a preconcerted signal, Mrs. Boyd appearing at the door of the Plaintiff's house, just as the nefendant was cro ss i n g ( to rn th e opposite side of the road. They joined each other at the end of the pavement, when Mrs. Boyd took huld of the Defendant's arm, They then proceeded to Guildford -street, where they took a hackney coach, and procecded . to a notorious house, the Key, in Chan dos -street, Covent Garden, where they alighted and discharged the coach. One of Mr. Boyd's servants, who had watched them to this place, hired the same coach, and drove to the Custom-house to inform his master of what he had seen, when the Plaintiff im mediately went to the Key in the same coach. Mrs. Clarke, the mistress of the key, denied that any such person as Mrs. Boyd had been there ; but the lady was detected in endeavouring to escape by the back war. The Plaintiff exclaimed, " That's my wife," and the lady replied, " Oh ! Charles, he has not in jured me." This was the substance of the case, which the Learned Attorney General had to lay before the Jury ; they would hear the evidence, and the only question they would have to consider would be the amount of damages which the Plaintiff would have to receive for this grievous injury. Mr. Alexander Lockhart said, that he was a rela tion of Mrs. Boyd ; that he had sometimes visited the family, and that he always considered Mr. and Mrs. Boyd to live happily together. Major Elves, of the Tower Veteran Battalion, Mr. Ingram Ryder of the Custom-house, and Mr. Atkin son, also deposed to the domestic happiness of the plaintiff ; but Mrs. Layland said she did not wish to say any thing against the plaintiff ; but she knew Mrs. Boyd to be an unhappy young woman.— Mr. and Mrs. Boyd had always appeared happy, how ever, in the company of third persons ; but the witness knew Mrs. Boyd to have been unhappy since Febru ary or March last, by her own information. Martha Woodward said, the Plaintiff left his house on the ith of last September, and desired the witness to watch Mrs. Boyd. On the tollowing day the wit ness saw Mrs. Boyd walk across the fields adjoining to the parties houses in company with the Defendant. George Millett deposed, that he then saw both Mrs.B. and the Defendant get into a hackney coach, and drive to the Key, in Chandos-street : when he 'arrived there, he • ent a messenger to the Plaintiff, Ix ho came to the Key soon afterwards with a constable, and demanded his wife, whom the Plaintiff at length found there. Mr. PARK then addressed the Jury on behalf of the Defendant. He rose now with feelings very different from those which had possessed him the day before, when he addressed a Jury in a cause of a similar nature to the present. He had seen his Client, and he found him a very candid, elegant, and, but for the present action, Le should have added, modest young man. He scorned to deny the fact of the criminal connec tion in Chandos-street ; and the Learned Counsel was conscious, therefore, that a verdict must go against his Client. All he hoped was, that it would not be such a verdict as would prevent him from becoming one day an ornament to his country. His Client had in structed him to express his sorrow for the sittu.tion of the Plaintiff; but, at the same time, the conduct of the Defendant had been just what that of any other young man in similar circumstances would have been, falling in as he did with such a woman as Mrs. Boyd, in the streets of this great metropolis. The defen dant did not pretend to know how Mr. and Mrs. Boyd lived together ; but one of the plaintiff's own wit , nesses had informed the Jury that Mrs. Boyd was a very unhappy young woman, and that she had been of since February or March. Now there was no proof of the defendant's having been acquainted with her till the very day in question. Mrs. Boyd being unpappy at home looked abroad for pleasures, and was struck with the appearance of the Defendant, who was a cavalry volunteer, and paraded with his regiment in the fields opposite to Mrs. Boyd's house. The Jury were therefore to consider that this dissatis. fled wife fixed her lustful eyes on this handsome young man, as he appeared abroad ; and that, therefore, it was she that seduced him. How, too, did it appear that he knew her to be a married woman ? Was he then the person who drew her out ? No ; the mo ment she sees him, she runs down stairs, throws her self, as it were, into his arms, and meets him at the door just as he is crossing the road. The Learned Counsel appealed to every man of feeling whether, in these circumstances, the Defendant had not been the seduced, and not the seducer Lord ELIANDOROUGH now gave his charge to the Jury. He stated, that the crime, to recover the damages attendant upon which the present action had been brought, was one that admitted severy possible degree or shade of morality, or rather of immora• lity. The present case was one of the most venial kind. It 3p. peared that the Plaintiff'swife was, from whatever circumstance, not a happy woman, and it a man possessed a wife of perverse habits, and of such vicious inclinations that she cruized for gal- Lino, he could not be entitled to the same damages as he would from the loss of a wife, who afforded him every comfort, and of whose affections he was entirely possessed. On the other hand, the Defendant knew at least that Mrs. Boyd was a resident in the house of Mr. Boyd, and though he might not directly know that she was his wife, he saw her residing in a respectable house. If then he chose, with that evidence before his eyes, to enter into an illicit connection wait the woman, taking no pains to acquaint himself with her situ:viola, he took the peril on himself. The Jury would weigh all these circumstances, and say what damages ought to be given. The Jury, after a very short deliberation, found a verdict for the Plaintiff—Damages X2OO. The indictment against Messrs. WRIGHT and Mrs. CLARK!:, for the conspiracy to defraud Colonel WAR DLE, came on this morning in the Court of King's Bench.—Mr. ALLEY opened the prosecution in a speech which lasted three hours. The witnesses were then called, and the trial was going on when this Paper was put to press. The Court was uncom monly crowded. The Mariner, Sally, and Elliston transports, ar rived on Saturday at Deal, from Flushing, having on board parts of the 91st, 71st, 85th, 68th, 26th, and 6th Regiments, about 570 men in all. They were landed yesterday afternoon. CORN-EXCITA.NGE, MARK-LANE, DEC. 11 .—The ar rivals of Wheat to-day make a large supply, early in the forenoon some fine samples were nearly at last prices, but afterwards sales in general at a declension in price of about 2s. and 3s. per quarter—Barley and Malt keep their prices—White Peas likewise--Beans of the two kinds at somewhat less—There are not many fresh arrivals of Oats, and sales thereof at little variation—Prices of Flour as our last. GINIRAL CURIINCT AS UNDRES Wheat, 765.905. 1025. Beans, (old) 60s. 664. Fine ditto, 1065. 109$. Tick ditto, (old) 50s. 555. Rye, 505. 545. Oats, 261. 30s. 935. Barley, 505.565. fld. Poland ditto, 26c. Sl.Ol Fine Flour, 90s. 955. Stconds tlf:s. Sus. NAVAL IIvirgLLIGENCE. FALMOUTH, DECEMI3tit g. Arrived the Queen Charlotte racket; Capt. Muncr,' mail from Cadiz, in 15 days passage. PINMOUTII, DEC. 0. Arrived the London packet, JA M I:5, from Betietarlo, wines, cork, and fruit, hound to London ; H.: i DV gun briy a cruize ; Box NE Crror Emmy. a!oop of w:lr from the Downs ; zr.d his Majesty's ships ECI.IPSX and CON T rsT from a cruise. PORTSMOUTH, DECEMBER 10. • Arrived the Partridge, from P:ymouth tiailed the Sarpedon, with a Convoy, fur the Downs.—Wind W. N. W. DOVER, DEC. to. Came in the brig Borough of Portsmouth frtwn Plymouth, in ballast, havitig been captured by a French privateer, and re/la quished yesterday morning by the Frenchmen, who took to the brig's boats on observing a sail, which they supposed to be an English cruizer, a part of the crew was taken out, and put on board the privateer when first captured. DEAL, DECEMBER 10. Arrived the'Redpole sloop of war, Capt. MACD ONA LD, With le Grand Rodent. French privateer, of 16 guns, rind 85 men, which she captured off Dungeness early this morning, after a chafe of three hours The privateer was from Boulogne, and made no captures this cruise. Sailed his Majesty's ship Loot., for Sheerness; and Jam &if:ate, Admiral Sir R. S r RAC It AZ., for Flushing. Arrived the Desiree, from ttie westward. The mit ward-bound remain.—Wind S. S. W. A French privateer appeared off Seaford on Ti , urs , day, and great apprehension is entertained of her having captured some of the vessels that *survived the horrors of the night, and weathered Beachy-l►.:ad. LOSS OF THE ASIA. FROM THE BOMBAY GAZETTE. We f:•el the deepest regret in announcing the less of the Hon. Company's ship ASIA. This melanclilly event has been communicated to N. B. EDMONS I'ONE, Esq. Chief Secretary to the Government, in an offi cial report from Captain TREMENHILERE, Of which the following are extracts : " Sta—lt is with utmost acute and painful emo tions of sorrow and concern that I acquaint you, for the information of the Right Hon. the Governor-Ge neral in Council, of the loss of the Hon. Company's ship ASIA, late under my command, on the Gilling• ham sand. " On Thursday, the Ist instant, about half-past nine A.M. when nearly abreast of the Mud Point, standing up under the top-sails with a fine moderate breeze from the Northward, and the pilot-schooner a-head, wearing (as I was informed) four fathoms ; the ship suddenly shoaled her water to half three, when the helm was immediately put a-port, and the yards braced up with the larboard braces." After describing the exertions to get the ship off, Capt. T. continue.; : " A boat with an officer was dispatched to Culpee and Diamond harbour, for the purpose of sending down an anchor-boat and empty sloops and sheers, to receive the guns, and what cargo it should be found necessary to discharge, in order to lighten her, and also for what more could be procured for the ships at those places—by which time it was near four o'clock ; and, as the ship was lying apparently very easy, and the water in the well had not increased n:ore than two inches from the time it had been sounded, the ship's company were ordered to dinner, as they had not tasted any thing since the day before. ~ About half-past four, while at dinner, three of the beams in the hold before the main hatchway gave way, and the upper deck and gunwale appeared to be rising on the larboard side. The booms and long boat were then ordered to be got out, the water to be started, and a party under the third officer ordered to attend at the pumps. " At half past five, the water in the well, which had been gradually increasing from the time the beams gave way, was now reported to be three feet. A strong party, however, at the pumps, kept it for some time from gaining on us ; but the number of men necessary for that purpose, and for sending the booms and long-boat over the side, fully employed every individual of the ship's company. " About eight o'clock the booms were all over board, Lnd it was then found, that four of the iron knees in the main hold had broke, and the ship began to fill very fast. The orlop-deck hatches had been ordered to be caulked down, and well secured, and every one sent to the pumps, where every possible ex ertion was made by every individual of the ship's company, and the greatest order and cheerfulness pre vailed amongst them to the last. At nine o'clock the water had forced its way through the after hatches (which had been caulked down) ; it appeared on the gun-decks : the people were then ordered from the pumps ; the boats to be lowered, (and the flood having made strong,) to be prepared to cut away the main mast, which was carried into execution at ten o'clock, the mizen-top-mast falling with it, the main-top-mast striking in the sand, the heel of the lower mast lay over the larboard gunwale, and the rigging on the quarter-deck and poop. At eleven the wreck of the mast and the rigging was cleared off the deck, by which time the upper deck was nearly under water, when we assembled almost every person on the poop, with what few articles of cloaths could be secured, anxiously waiting for high water ; the sea oc. casionally breaking over us, and so high that . the star board boat, although hoisted, and the only one then remaining of any service to us (the long-boat and the large cutter having been stove alongside) was fre quently endangered. At half-past two in the morn. ing of the 2d, as soon as the tide broke, the Pilot schooner (attending the ship) seat her boat, in which the sick, the most helpless, and as many others as she could take, were conveyed to that vessel, and with the assistance of the Hooley boat and the ships, I sup. pose every person was out of her by half-past three, when,after examining every accessible part of the ship, the officers and myself quitted her ; and I had the heartfelt satisfaction to find, when I mustered the ship's company, immediately on getting on board this schooner, that every one was saved from the ship." The rest of the narrative is filled with remarks made upon the ship afterwards, &c. by which it appears, that boats, &c. were taken alongside of the wreck to recover, if possible, any of the valuable cargo or property on board; during this arduous labour only one man got intoxicated, and neither persuasion nor threats could induce him to quit the ship on the flood making ; he was seen, however, afterwards, about half flood, to commit himself to the waves on a raft, which had been made the night before, and it was hoped he would reach the shore in safety. Very little of the stores, or any thing vnluable, was saved from the ship. +.