Star. — London, England, 1819-01-07 00:00:00

OLD CUSTOMS! At this season of the year, when a more than usual mirth pervades all ranks, as it befitteth the rejoicing of the truly Christian'heatts in this most Christian country—at this season, when hilarious jocoseness is universally encouraged, it may not be amiss amid the pastimes of " 1-lunt the Slipper," " Blind Man's Buff," 4 , Playing the Game of Forfeits," and such like, to suggest some amendment in the last, though not the amusement prevalent in our evening circles; viz. The Dance.—From the earliest periods of history, dancing was the favourite method of expressing mirth and cheerfulness in all social meetings. The barbarous antics of wild savages :o their native yell—the jocund hop and reel in a country village—the more refined swimming and gliding of the minuet in the drawing room—all equally, though in different guise, express tile sentiments of pleasure and heartfelt glee. May an antiquated Spinster venture, without fear of being deemed an intruder, to offer a few observa• Lions on the subject of the dance ? Although the sea son is such as chills the blood within her old veins, yet the recollection ci former times on a similar occa sion of rejoicing, imparts a glow, and the garrulity natural to her sex and age impels her to speak. Dancing, like ether arts, has been abused—and, where it was intended for an innocent recreation only, by the help of foreign masters who have introduced the Fandangos, Boleras, and Waltzes, it has become an absolute immorality, shocking to the eye. of the modest Spinster of eighty-eight, who, although she has passed the bloom of youth, still enjoys happiness as it is reflected in others; and, anxious for the revival of the innocence and e'egaice that marked the dance of former times, she offers to their consideration a few figures of country dances, copied verbatim from that most excellent book published in the year 1719, en titled " The Dancing Master; the seventeenth edition, containing 358 of the choicest old and new tunes now used at Court and other public places." 4. Sir Fop.c,p's Aire First mnn opens his snuff-box, then the tune begins—he offers his box—his partner takes a pinch first, then he, and snuffs—then closes his box and gives it two taps, and both dance carelessly. Then Ist and ed n:an toss the right, then left knot of their wigs —then clap their right and left hands on their sides. The women do the same (at the same time), only they adjust their hair with their light and left hands—dance carelessly, and turn single. 'Phan right 11...nds and left with the 2d couple—then all four dan:e carelessly and east off. " At' ra.„rfs Pad"—tnrztours Jul as many cc u.. 71. first couple walk down the middle to the bottom by equal stt•ps—this bottom couple walk up to the top on the outside at the same time; the same over again: then Ist couple brush hands four times, the 2d couple the same—the same four, back to back, and stamp with their foot four times—then Ist couple pace Into couples' plac:4—then Ist man and woman shake hands across and keep their hold—the 2d ne:n and Ist woman the same ; then trot half, and gallop half round—then trot half rolled and gallop half back again—then turn single till done. " fr..e:oed to Me (..net."_ The first woman take her partner by both hands and lead him down the mithile : the lira man takes hi right kg ep and shakes it, then his left, and cast off. " list New ro;nri, , s." The first man cast off and goes to the 31 woman and kiss her, and rctuen to his place—the 3d man cast up and goes to the Ist woman and kiis her, and cast off to his own place ; cross over, meet and sett in the led cottplcs place and tui.a. •On perusing these specimms, my readers will no doubt join with me in the wish of establishing their reputation ;—to the attainment of which end, I pro pose forwarding a petition, in the event of which I do not despair of seeing them revived at the next meeting of Congress, where the radiance emitted from the magnammoni circle there assembled, will confer as much splendour on them as graced them in the Courts of George the First and Second. Sho.dd such 'circumstance occur, it is not improbable I may brush up my farthingale, and pin on my lappets once again, before I make my first exit from this world's great dr?Wing-room. A SpiN3rEa, or DANCINC: iitriOSINTY IN nue TSAI 1750. The annual display of Twelfth Cakes, in all their tempting varieties, crowded the shops of the confec tioners and_ pastry-cooks, yesterday morning, and from the diminished state of their " stock in trade" towards the evening, it was evident that the old cus tom of drawing for king and Wen,' was still kept up with unabated glee. In the Green-room of Drury lane Theatre, BADDELEY'S legacy cake and bowl of punch afforded much merriment to the Corp Dye- 1 tratique. • The LORD CHANCELLOR will sit at Lincoln's-Inn-' Hall to-morrow, for hearing Bankrupt Petitions.— The first Seal before Term . is on the 16th, and the second on the 20th instant. The Term commences on the 23d. 'Monday the Sessions for the County of Middlesex commence, at Hicks's Hall. M. there will be an Admiralty Sessions held in Justice Hall, Old Bailey, when two cases of mur der committed on the high seas will be tried. One of them is a person connected with the gang of smugglers, two of whom suffered death some years ago, and their bodies are now hanging in chains at Blackwall, for firing into a Revenue cutter and kill ing two Officers. - Wednesday the Sessions will commence at the Old Dailey. The calendar contains a numerous list of, offenders, among whom we are sorry to observe above twelve for uttering forged Bank-notes. None of the other offences seem peculiarly aggravated. Yesterday, a dashing Exquisite, dressed in the .first style of Dandyism, uels charged at Union-Hall, with an attempt to violate the person of a fine-look ing girl, about 17 years of age.—The complainant stated, that the Frisoner, in the absence of his father and mother, the former of whom is an eminent mer chant in the city, concealed himself in her bed-room, and that on her entering it, he crept from his hiding place, and seizing her round the waist, threw her on the bed; that she was a match for him, however, in strength, and struggled successfully against him, but that he did not de , ist from his attempt until a fellow servant, drawn to the place by her cries, had broken a panel in the door, in endeavouring to force it and rescue her from his gripe. Her master and mistress having returned time shortly after, discharged both her and her fellow-servant, which circumstance she,, se emed to resent more than the treatment which she received from the Dandy son.—The Magistrate re commended a compromise. The Dandy offered £5, but the prosecutrix demanded £2O, which being re• fused, the Magistrate advised her to indict him for the assault at the Sessions. Yesterday morning a whole sheep was carried of from the. door of the shop of Mr. SADIUXL BEALE, buttlicr, in the Borough of Southwark. POLICE. Yesterday Mr. Serjeant SELLON took leave of the Magistrates of Union Hall Police Office, and took his seat this day at Hatton Garden. Bayou ALLEYNE, Esq. the Master of Dulwich College, is appointed in the Learned Seijcant's place at Union Hall. MANSION-HOUSE.—A sailor, of the name of Reed, was brought up in custody the Officers, on the charge of being a common vagrant. The officer who apprehended him said, that the prisoner and another fellow of the same profession infested the neighbour hood of Fenchurch-street ton most aboininahle degree. Having seen them veil (Atm upon that beat ; he ask ed them yesterday whether they had ever apiaied to the Seaman's Commtvee fir relief? They replica in the affirmative ; and said, that they had seen the Se cretary of the Institution at the Oneen's Head, in the Poultry. This assertion convinced hint that they were both impostors. as the Committee have removed to Aldermanbary. lie therefore said that they should go along with him to the Committee, but this they refused to do, saying, that he wanted to take them to the Mansion-House, and get them committed to gaud. In consequence of their refusal, he seized them both by the collar, and endeavoured to effect by force that which he could not obtain by stratagem.) In the struggle which ensued, one of the sailors escaped ; but the prisoner was secured, though not before he had made a most obstinate resistance, and torn the clothes completely off the officer's back. As he was not able to give a satisfactory account of himself, the LORD MAYoR committed him to Bride- , well for a month, and sentenced him to receive seve cal good whippings during that period. A woman, with two young children , evidently in great distress, were next put to the bar. She had been found begging. In her defence she stated, that she had been driven to that step by the most acute want ; she had applied to her palish for relief, but . had failed in chtailsing it. The I.onn Nlavba, on hearing this statement, ordered the Officers to go to the Overseers of her parish and tell them of the situ ation in which she had been found ; and if they re fused to give her this assistance which her necessitie. , 'demanded, to take her, with his compliments, to the Magistrates of Worship-street Office On whose dis trict her parish lies), and to obtain a summons for the attendance of the Overseers. In the meanwhile, he himself would take care that site was properly relieved.—The LORD MAYOR, in the course of this case, inveighed in very strong terms against a shame ful practice which has lately become but too com mon with the ditlerert Overseers in the Nletropolis. They either totally refuse to assist those who apply to them, or else, instead of giving them that substan tial relief which the law requites, dismiss them with A present of a few shillings, and an order not to pester them with any future visits. The consequence is, that many poor creatures, unable to procure work, are compelled to sA;cit charity to prevent themselves from starving ; the streets, indeed, swarm with men dicants, who have been necessitated to become so, owing to this custom ; while the business of the dif ferent Police Offices has been increased in a most enormous degree by the introduction of this system, which is so contrary to every feeling of justice and humanity. BOW-STREET.—CRUEL FRAUD.—A few days ago a respectable-looking female, who had evidently seen better days, and who described herself as the widow of Mr. Bland, an attorney, who had died a few months since, and left her in a state of destitution, with five children dependent on her for support, applied to Mr. BiRNIE, in great affliction, under the following circumstances :—A short time after her husband s death she became acquainted at a friend's house at Richmond, with a person who had the appearance of a Gentleman, and described himself as Mr. John Lloyd, brought up to the law in London, and has lately followed that profession at Newark ; he sym pathizedin the tenderest manner with her distress, and called at her residence, 8, Bridge-row, Lambeth, and trld her be could get her eldest son, a youth about 19 years of age, provided for, (if she could procure the sum of 4330) in a place under Government. — She exerted herself among her friends, and a Gen tleman very humanely promised her the stipulated sum. Mr. Lloyd called again when she informed him she had succeeded in getting the promise of the 130/. he said he should be able to procure her an appointment for her son in a few days; and shortly after again caned, and told her to be sure to have the money ready by the morning of the 24th of December last, as he had procured the promise of an appoirtmem cf a Page to the king; she accord. ingly went to the Gentleman, her friend, who had promised the money, and he gave her a 1001. and a 30/. Bank note, which she gave to Mr. Lloyd on the scorning of tits Itth cf December, he desiring her to accempany him, and he would give the necessary ducuments and warrant of appointment for her son; she accompanied him to the Treasury, when he de sired her to " toddle" about the passage for a few minutes. and he would return to her. She saw him go up the great stair-case, and in a little time return with some papers in his hand. She afterwards ac companied him across the Park to St. James's Pa lace, where he told her_ he was going to the Lord Chamberlain's Office, for the warrant of appoint ment as a Page to the King. On their arrival at the Palace, he dasired her to kick her heels about for a short time, and he would return to her with the warrant from the Lord Chamberlain's Office." She waited between three and four hours in the Palace, when her patience beoame quite exhausted, and she ventured to go to the Lord Chamberlain's Office, and inquire for Mr. Lloyd ; but nothing was known of him or the trausastion—she then began to suspect that she bad been duped by Lloyd, and that to her great mortification, she had lost her friend's money ; she made inquiry of every person she suspected had any knowledge of Mr. Lloyd, but could not find him or learn where he was to be found, and afterwards made her application to Mr. BIRNIE, who without hesitation granted a warrant against Lloyd for a fraud. Mrs. Bland had fortunately got the numbers or the notes, 17,410 is that of the 100/. and 11,041 the 301. and the payment of them has since been stop ped at the Bank.—Adkins, the officer, very kindly undertook the serving of the warrant, and going in pursuit of Lloyd, whom Mrs. Bland described to be about 95 years of age, five feet five inches high, bald head at the top, and wearing powder, pale face, thin, and very long nose ; and wfiess he defrauded her of the money, he was dressed in a blue coat,' black silk waistcoat, blue pantaloons, boots, and mifed great coat. Adkins has not yet succeeded in finding him. M A REBOROUGH7-STht Elm—Yesterday a youth, named Morgan, was examined before JOIIN EDW ARD 1 CON ANT, Esq. on a charge of attacking Mr. William Davis, of Bkti-street, Manchester-square, in the ; Green Park, and robbing him of a pocket-book, con- wining a£l Bank note. The 'Prosecutor deposed, that on Sitturday last, about eleven o'clock, he was coming throtils the Green Park, on his way to Spring Gardens, to the house of his Solicitor ; it was very foggy, and as he entered the Green Park, on the path to St. James's Palace, he observed two ill-look ing fellows following him, and suspecting that they intended to attack him, he took the precaution of twisting the chain of his watch, which was worth 60 guineas, throng!' the button-hole of his waistcoat.— When he was about half-way down the path they attacked him, one took out his pocket-book, and an other, as he had anticipated, made a snatch at his watch, but failed in his endeavour to get it, and they then ran away. He followed thetas some distance, but they escaped in the fog, and he found the pocket book lying open on the grass, emptied of its contents. On his return home in the evening he gave informa tion to Coates, one of the Mary-la-bonne Constables, of the robbery, with a description of the person of one of them ; and that evening Coates took him into custody in James-street, where he was gambling with other b:td characters. The prosecutor stated, that on Monday a man met him in Oxford-street, and offered him a pound note if he would not prose cute, but he gave him no answer ; and the following day he received a note couched in the following terms, from some anonymous person : " Sir—You will weigh well the propriety of prosecuting tit* . prisoner. You are your own judge ; but if you appear against him, something serious Will be the consequence.—Your's, fee. " The prisoner's true and sworn friend." The prisoner denied the robbery, and called a man named Trigg to prove an alibi ; but the moment he appeared, Mr. Davis recognised bins as the man who offered him the pound note to forego proceedings: lie was in consequence put to the bar, but no proof of his being concerned in the robbery could be brought against him, and he was discharged : Mor gan was fully committed. • Mrs. Capiline Richardson, of Ogle-street, charged by a watchman of St. James's-street, with disorderly conduct on Tuesday night last, said, that herself' and sister had been at the Lyceum, and were quietly returning home, when they welt: rudely accosted by the watchman, and without any provocation, she was taken to the watch-house. Watchman.—l have instructions from the Watch Committee, if I see any temales " standing or walking," to take them into custody. Mr. CONAwv.—Such an authority cannot be given to you. So, whether persons stand still or walk on, you are to make them ' prisoners. This Lady must be immediately discharged. ' HATTON GARDEN.—It appears upon a further in vestigation, which took place on Monday, that the charge made against one of the Overseers of Clerk . enwell, for an assault alleged to have been committed by him upon a pauper who had applied to him for • relief, proved to be a fabrication, for the purpose of : extorting money from the party accused. EXCISE-COURT, BROAD-STREET, JAN. 6. The Commissioners of Excise this day held a meet ing, to allow or disallow several seizures which have lite!) , been made by the activi'y of their officers. The room in which the Court is held was filled by a motley host of tet dealers, spirit merchants, tobac conists, and auctioneers, all eagerly waiting their doom from the mouths of the Commissioners. Many cases, of no importance, except to the parties them selves, were investigated. Several dealers in spirits, who had diluted their liquor very largely with ' water, suffered the loss of their stock, owing to that very dilution from which they expected to derive unusual profit ; because, lay placing, through it, a greater number of gallons in their respective cellars than had been numbered on the previous survey Is) the supervisor employed by the Board, it rendered them liable to all the pains and penalties of the Ex cise laws. Several tea•dealers who had increased their stock of tea by means which, though they were not mentioned, the public knows well, beyond the amount registered in the exciseman's books, had their goods condemned, and a penalty exacted upon• them ; a fate which also befel some tobacconists, who had employed similar methods of augmenting their stock. The followingwere the only cases which pus sessed the slightest degree of public interest : Mc v. HARPER. This was information against Mr. Harper, for having in his possession thirty-nine gallons of runs under proof. Mr. Robert Fellory said, that in his survey of de fendant's stock he tried the strength of his rum; it was '25 ; ti per cent. under proof; it ought to have been 17. It was, in consequence of this evidence, immediately condemned. REY V. HILL. This was an information against Thomas Hill, a publican, for having in his possession two bottles of brandy above the number of his stock. Edmund Parish Sharp deposed, that on the-15th of last July he was an Excite-officer, and, in the dis charge of his duty, called at the defendant's house to take his stock. As he was just preparing to leave his house he chanced to look into the bar, and there he saw two strange bottles. By the word strange, he meant foreign bottles, which it was easy to distin guish from English bottles, from the thicker texture of the glass. Mrs. Hill, the defendant's wife was in the bar at the time ; he went to her, And demanded to see what the bottles contained. • She refused to allow him, stating that it was some particular good liquor, which she intended as a present for one of her friends, and which would be entirely spoiled if the cork were once drawn out of it. He replied, that this excuse did not satisfy him at all, and draw the cork 114 . . would. He, therefore, took the bottle, and, upon tasting it, found that it was Cognac brandy, though he could not say that it was particular good. He told Mrs. Hill, that he was sorry to differ in opi nion from her, but the liquor was perfectly detesta ble; and therefore, to prevent her from affronting her friend with an unworthy present; he should take the liberty of seizing it. Mrs. Hill then informed him that the brandy had been sent to her house by a friend, who was to call for :it ag ain and take it away ; and he understood that such a defence was to be made to-day. Mr. Hill made the defence which Mr. Sharp anti cipated, and called a witness to sultgantiatek, John Cook Acton. Mr. Acton deposed, that he had sent the bri n ,: y in question to Mr. Hills house. He is a burgb 1.4 Antwerp, and in crossing the seas to England, brought some brandy along with him to allay ti le qualms of sea-sick ..‘ss, which he thought it prob a bk that he might feel during his pas Sage. He is a rc i a. tion by marriage to Mr.• Hill, and thinking that a " drop of brandy" might be weld to Mrs. Hill, h e sent it to her without saying from whom it came, This brandy he afters irds heard Lad been seized by the Excise Officers. In consequence of this state, ment, the Commissior. •rs contemned the brandy, but remitted the penalty. It IA V. BELLEW:IER. This was an information against Mrs. Mary A n 4 Bellenger, of East Smithfield, for having in her session a quantity of tea beyond her regular st o d The Commis:ioners condemned the tea. The nut. usually levied on such occasions was remitted. TIIE DROPPED CHILD. An Inquest was held yesterday, for the purpose of ascertaining by what means the child found in Tash. street, and which afterwards died in the Work-house, had come to its death. The evi»knce went to prove, that the child, when first found, was eviden ly labour. ing under the effects of some ~ oporitic medi c i ne; but it was the opinion. of Dr. Dennison, that the quantity was neither sufficient, nor probably intt-:.'ed to produce death, No circtunqance t:alspired which could lead to a discovery of the mother, whose lice::- tionsness sinks absolutely to nothing, wden compaA with her barbarity in , attieriag this iniant to b.: posed, on a frosty night, in the open streets : but the deposition of the following winter; explains the whole transaction, with this exception: Elizabeth Winter sworn.—About two months aye, being in want of a nurse-child, I applied to Nits. Ann Symons, a midwife, residing in Kirby-street, [Luton-garden, for a child to nurse, my own having died ; she desired me to call in a few days, as a laity who was far advanced in pregnancy, would soon be brought to bed, and the (hill be put out to nurse; but that it would be only for a few days. I refused to take it for so shin t :t period, and told Mrs. Symons that I wanted one for a length of time. Mrs.Symons then said, that her sister, Mrs. Evans, who lodged in the same house with use, would take the child, and I should have another to dry-nurse. I did not see Mrs. Symons again until alter the deceased was brought by Mrs. White, sister.in-law to Mrs. Sy mons, to the house where I lodge, to be g iven to Mrs. Evans, Mrs. Symons's :sister ; it was brought on Saturday, the Nth of December last, between twelve and one o'clock, and as Mrs. Evans was not at home, I had the care of it until the Tuesday fol lowing. On Tueiday morning Mrs. White, the person who brought the child to me, came and said she must take it back to Mrs. Symons, as it was in tended to be sent to wet-nurse on its father's estate in the country. The child was perfectly healthy during the time it was with me, and lived on milk and arrow-root; it was not above three hours old when it was brought to me on Saturday. I dressed the child on Tuesday, and carried it to Mrs. Sy mons, in Kirby-street, and delivered it to her at four o'clock in the afternoon ; she paid me 7s. for nursing it, and informed me that it was going to its fathers country-seat, about twenty-five miles from London, to he put to nurse. Whilst I had the child Mrs. Sys-mans advied me to get some poppies, and give thmn to the child, as it would keep it constantly quiet, and was an excellent thing to give a chile that was cross. On Tuesday ever.;ng, the 15th et December, I heatd of a child being dropped in Tull. street ; I went to see it, from an impression en my mind that it was the same child I had taken to Mrs. Symons the same afternoon.; I saw it at the Work house, and knew it from two red pimples on oi,e shouldt—, and the mark of red wine, which 1 sup , pose ;he mother ieceieed while pregnant of it, being between both its eyes. lie dress the child %vote, when I delivered it into Mrs. Symons's hands, wrs a new and beautiful dress : and that now produced ii mean and dirty, not the same dress, except the-shirt. It had very black hair ; I am !aire it was the same child ; I saw it again on the tiAluwing morning, and was sure that sumethiag had been given to it ine properly ; it was so mush altered in its appearance that 1 should not have known it but from the marks 1 have already described. It was drowsy and f.tii• pitied ; and the ntir , ,e told me it had beeu so ever since she had it. llad the child remained with we, I feel satisfied it would have been alive at this time. I advised the nurse to shew it to a doctor; I visited it six times in the Work-house, and it S ot worse every time. It was a very piercing cold eight when the deceased was dropped. I never learned from Mrs. Symons who the mother of the child was. Here the evidence closed, when some of the Jur) proposed to examine Mrs. Symons, who was present, but some of the Overseers stated, that it would be highly improper to examine her who was intender to be prosecuted as a party, and who was now wt. der bail to answer for the offence, and that they could not call on her to criminate h erself. Here di' room was cleared. The Jury, after a sitting of seven hours, and . consultation of two hours; in compliance with tam opinion of the Doctors, returned a verdict—Died of the visitation of Gen, MARRIED. Lately, at Tou:, R. S. Stucker, Esq. R. M. to Arse San'S eldest daughter of the late Rev. William Strong, Rector o: Norton, in Kent. DIED. Monday, in Charlotte street, Fitzroy-equare, after a ft* dart illness, Nlif. llewers, widow of Captain J. 11. Betters, of t.: Royal Navy. On Sunday, the 15th of December, at Berea, in Frarer Anna Maria, wife of C'pt. Far.shawe, R.N. and second daue ter of Maior-General Jenkinwn. NAILS THIS DAL 4111114 Mir. ARR. Deg Dublin 10 I Lisbon 4/ U Waterford 0 2 Malta I 0 Guero....y .uni Jersey 0 0 France I 0 !Tolland 00 I llamburilt o ` 3 Flanders 0. .0 Sweden 0 3 HIGH WATER at LONDON BRIDGE TO-MORROW Mt trim • • • 40 aiimates after 11 Alien:ors . . 0 ......-- —... 12 1.•,•.7-7-_ _ —....-..... a. ----c- -- -=, -- - - - . L-Jr I.UND3N; Mated at clevallibil 14 Lynn. Karr, Pe e nun. 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