Star. — London, England, 1817-12-18 00:00:00

I PM R I UN ATE YOUTH! (FROM A MORNING PAPER.) u We yesieidAy rtctived ti:e .oliowing letter from out Correspondent, Mr. WEATHERBY, of Newmarket: " TO THE rim I'OR. . " Sin —la my letter to you of the 11th inst. (in serted in your Paptr (.1 t!-.e 1 Stl. ) I said. that I bad then no reason to disbelieve the statement which the young man kii , wn by Le description of ." The For tunate Y. nth" had made to me, And that the moment hal reason to alter my opinion, he would uo longer Lave any countenance from me. " I iecl it now a duty I owe to the public to de clue, that circumstances have since occurred which induce me to think that 1h • been grossly deceived in my opinion of him, and that his pretensions to a Large property are without foundation. 4 ' I am totally unable to assign any adequate mo * Live for a fabrication, with halt the ramifications of which the public are not, and probably never *ill be acquainted; but I have no hesitation in declaring, that unless the impositiou be the effect ot a partial de rangement of intellect, it exhibits an instance ot early depravity, i.f which there are few examples. " I an, Sir, your very obedient s?rvant, " hOwARD WRATIIEnIY." "Our Readers will recollect the two former let ters of Mr. Weatherby. In deference to this Gen temait, oho was employed as solicitor to the youth, wt agreed to postpone the evidence in our hands, that !le might have time for inquiry, Plough we were sa tisfied that the result would joslify our first convic tion. W , lll Mr. Weatherby's notion that - it was not a matter tl. :1 interested the public we could not agree, since the event of the negociationi for the purchase' of estates with borough influence, had a tendency to national corruption the most undisguised. At the very time when Mr. Weatherby wrote the letter con tainiog that observation, he was employed in a sur vey ot the magnificent domain of Houghton for the owner of Castle: in Spain ! and of countless millions in every country ! it is certain that Mr. Weatherby was the dupe of this beardless boy ; and the credit which a Solicitor of his experience and respectability gave to the story, procured it a'ready reception i i the minds of ad who knell hint. But be is now convin ced, and agrees that ;e did our duty to the public in putting them on their guard against a fraud so lu natic or so unprincipled. It is no part of our prac tice to treat of private frailties, or to hunt out men from the recesses of disorderly indulgence. We leave the correction of morals to the Church, and the pu nishmelit of delinquency to the Law. But there ate acts of atrocity,. as well as of indecorum, which are cognisable only by doe press, and can be defeated only by exposure. This young adept at imposition Las exceeded every thing upon record, as to the mag bitude of his pretensions. If a plan had been framed by an inventive committee of deception, to see how far the avidity of gain would lead the public astray, they could net have .succeeded more perfectly than this youth of 18, without a single accomplice, has done. The drama is truly marvellous, and probably is not yet come to an rod, for the boy is actually in Paris. The eclat of his enbouoded wealth, as we Mated, has gone before him ; and like a second Cmiu.gosiso, he may there boast of his philosopher's static ; or of what is more plausible, of his mines in Peru, and his funds in every excheqiier of Europe. as This young man's 'same is ABRAHAM W. Caws- Tow. His father is a farmer at Chipperiliam, near Newmarket. The early promise of shining talents induced his father to send him to school, under the tuition of the eminent Dr. Butler, of Shrewsbury; and there his attainments and abilities gained him Universal admiration. He was not 17 years of age when he paid his addresses to a young lady of fortune in that place, and from that time the strange artifice or imagination of this enormous fortune that had dropt to him, as it were from the clouds,. had birth. He first opened the wonderful secret to his father, and the story he told was, that an aged gentlemao had, at one of his journies from home to school, fallen in with him in a stage coach going to Birming ham, and that he had afterwards made him a deed of pp of his whole fortune ! It did not, in the first dis closure, swell to the magnitude which it afterwards attained ; but the first feeling that he manifested was to settle a par i t of his wealth on his parents and brother. For this purpose he was introduced to Mr. Weatherby, to whom lie gave instructions to make a will ; and as his fortune was stated to be all personal, M r. Wea therby saw no objection to the deed. His distribution of wealth, though uncommon. did not strike Mr. W. as improbable, so clear and consistent were the boy's statements in their different interviews, and so filial and brotherly were the bequests. " From this time nothing could equal the romance of his story, the unblushing effrontery with which her Maintained it, and the ingenious stratagems he de aided to keep up the delusion. It would fill a volume to recount the history of the youth for the last two months; and we are possessed of so many curious anecdotes, that we shall entertain our Readers with the relation of a few of them, since the affair has afforded a striking example of she courtesy which ia shewn to appearance, and the eagerness with which meteor is contemplated in the hemisphere of rang and fashion. That tradesmen of all descriptions should crowd round his doors for the advantage of his orders was natural—but that Bankers should con tend for his acconnt—Duchesses for the honour of his acquaintance—and Ministers for his Parliamentary support—prove how much all conditions of society are on the alert for gold and power. Heprevailed on his lather to enter his elder bro ther, who is 24 years of age, and had been brought tp in the line of farming, as a fellow commoner of Emanuel College, Cambridge. He instructed one Solicitor to enter into a negotiation for the purchase of several estates, and surveys . had actually been Made. He applied to Government for a grant to take Ate name and bear the arms of Devereux s and the Herald's College had begtin to take steps to ex emplify the arms, and waited only for information as to which brands of the house of Devereux his be nefactor belonged. He instructed another Solicit or to insert as advatieement in the public Papers, calling oo the crediton, - if any, of Don Gaspar de Quintals, clamed, .to bring in vouchers of their demands. in order that day might be forthwith liquidated.— (Meaning to couple him with Don Joachim de Quiri nal, a rich Portuguese diamond merchant.) Bei stated that it was his determination to pur chase tea Boroughs, that be might have.tweuty LONDON. ONLY ONE DAY TO DRAW—NEM SATURDAY.— FOUR PRIZES Ok: .64u,0c0, &c. IN PILL WHEEL. THURSDAY, DZCEMIsER 18, 1817:- RINDS. Pete of Stocks rule day at Irweive o'Clock: - - Reduced t►2ft—Luuc. shut—For Opening, 83;i 4 per Cent. 9i, r, 4 — s per Cent. Navy ►hut Bat.k Lung AllUb. t-16—india liomis 96 100 pr. Exchequer Mi. 17 .3 0. It is asserted ibat the I wo; su uy Exchequer bills are to be called in, as Government have no ae-n able to -ell any, at lel. preMuto, for two or three week• wapente-halfpenny Hills are comes out instead. Storks ar: very Ilat. One Brilter eerved the Commissioners with all the Reduced at 118 The Paris Papers 01 Saturday, !Riga werf mis sing,* arrived last night, but contain little intelligence beyond what those of Sunday, received yesterday, bare already enabled us to lay betore our Readi t , . A letter has been received from Marseilles, stating that the plague had broken out in Dalmatia, and is committing great ravages—that Bona, C nstautine, and Algiers are still a prey to the contagion—and that there is no doubt of the Barbaresque Corsairs, which now infest the Mecikevronean. being tainSed, with k. It is added, by the writer, that ss these' frecbooting lasers board almost evil' ship which they meet, it will soon be necessary toast the commerce of the wholt world under fiarentim. The dAnger is indeed imminent, and we cannot help regretting the degree of indifference with which it seems to be regarded by those who are alone perhaps able to repress, and who are certainly not the least interested in repressing it. The evil may not yet be at our own doors, but who can tell how soon it may be freighted to us, by some one or other of the many thousand vessels daily crowding into our harbouri,-ind who, though no: coming trout suspected places, and not therefore sub jected to quarantine, may have been visited on the high seas by these emissaries of pestilence and death ?I A change is said to be about to take place in the French Ministry. M. De CAM has not yielded up the place of Minister of Police, but he is about to enter on the Household, where he will have the dis position of 30 millions of francs, without the respon sibility of account. The functions of the Bureau of Police are to be fulfilled by the Minister of the Inte rior, Minister of the Household, &c. M. MOLE has actually taken - the parffolio , of the Interior, and M. Lams has retired.—French 5 per cents, 63 f. SO c. We laid before our Readers a few days ago, an Edict of FERDINAND, dated 21st October, having for its object to increase the White Colonists of the Island of Cuba by offers of grants of land, and the privileges of citizenship on certain terms after a resi dence of four years. We think the motive to this step may have been derived from the Court of Madrid having obtained a copy of the subjoined Declaration of the Venezuelan Legislature, coupled with the known fact, that many lay/lilies were emigrating from Europe to seek settlements in the Western hemi sphere. When the law expenses accompanying all free future grants of land by the Spanish Monarchy are contrasted with the immediate possession and citizenship offered by the Venezuelans, there can be little question which of the proferred boons will find the greater number of acceptors. Who. that has market the kind of recompense bestowed by the be loved FERDINAND on -many who shed their blood to procure his restoration to the Spanish Throne. and the, priestly tyranny to which he has subjected his people s i nce hi s reuses, would, willingly, condemn them selves to live under his authority ? DECLARATION op THE VENtZUSI4II4 LEGISLATURE. " AU foreigam, of Whatever nation, will be received in tbe Province of Caracas. " The persons and propertire of foreigners slain enjoy the MOW security u those of the other citizens, provided they acknowkip the orraeissty and independence, and respect the Catholic Re ligion, the only one in tidy Cpuntry. " Tin fortigatre who real& In the Provisos of Carat:milk:lna naturalized and having the necessary property. shall enjoy ill the rights of thizens. _ _ _ " The immense quantity of lands in the Province of Caracas, the abundance of perpetual streamq ich fertilise them, the diversity of productions and their richness, °Wet to the industri. ous man the greatest advantages in agriculture. The geogra phical situation of a great extent of coast opposite the Antilles and other Islands, the great consumption of the States of Vetla zuela, confederated with those of Cundinstoarca or Santa Fe, open and facilitate a commerce the mnst advantageous in the universe. The peaceable character of the inhabitants, the mild nes: of their behaviour, the regard they thew to foreigners, and lastly, the mildness of the climate, it being a perpetual spring, invite persons to settle In the Province of Caracas, as culti vators, artisans or merchants. he Government, interested in protecting all, will give lands to any person who may wish to cultivate them; and will secure, in their respective protessions, all those who dedicate themselves to commerce, industry, and the arts; it will alone prosecute and expel the turbulent and the idle, who apply themselves to disturbing the traaquillity and peace of those who live occupied. The industrious and peace. able man will enjoy in Venezuela the protection of government and the estimation of the people." While on South American affairs, we shall lay before our Readers an extract from the Inds, pub lished in the Caracas by command of Fii.IIDINAND, to induce, if possible, the people to lay down their arms : " PROCLAMATION. " Don Psalm Mosit.i.o, Lieutenant-General of the Royal Armies, &c. &c. " The King our master, who has never denied you the appeals of his dear children, yielding to the impulse of his better°. jrni heart, ever affectionate and tender, gives birth to a new epoch 01 prate, happiness, and conciliation In viewing the joy ' maul e•ted by the people at his marriage, and that of his Serene .iighiless the Infant Dpu Caress, his august brother, he could nut help casting au eye around h . s Throne, b.:holding his be loved vassals, and consecrating some cares to •he relief of every rone, and to the happiness of all. He has reitacied on your miss iiir.unes, and lie to thwith adopted the resolution to make them cease, and to bind his American children. by new ties of love, to their country, to the great Spanish Monarch. 1 . An Indulto, which comprehends within its circle all those concerned in the present insurrection, either prosecuted or not prosecuted, shunt or present, a general oblivion ; a period of the evils which bave banished the tranquillity from your soil, Is wha t is published this day an the name of the most beloved and most merciful of Monarchs." . [ I he General proceeds to state his duty in announcing this promise of the King, as a proof of the Kii,g's desire to promote the happiness or the people of South Amer ca. He adverts to the numerous proclaim/ nons of pardon issued by him, which would prevent the effusion of blood. 'lle present proclamation, he says, appears at a time when (newt warriors have arrived from tile Mother C.O .try, which finds nu obstacle in its way, and he c.,.1 fa: people not to b: led away by chimerical ideas of .11).n) nd.l kout to them, but to look to their families.] •• inhaintants of every part of this Continent!—Rent assured .bar I will contribute to promote a general reconciliation, and that I will not lose sight of this Important end, that every one t may enjoy die blessings to which the mercy of the King gives shwa access; I shall support the Civil Authorities; I shall cause the s)wem of the laws to be respected; in a word, I shall do all in my power to achieve a general pacification. The arms of the troops under my command shall norbe employed but against the obstinate and ungrateful, who despise the benevolence of the fidanarch, and to protect his reconciled and peaceful children. " Had.quarters, Caracas, Sept. 81, 1817." The President Puranzoost, of Buenos Ayres, has recently issued a very interesting document, which he cantles " An Exposition of the Procee4 e .igs of the Supreme Government of the United Provinces of South America." It is remarkable for the calmness and apparent accuracy with which it unfolds the history of the author's administration ; industriously develops; the circumstances of the country where he was first raised to office, about the close of the year 12116; the embarrasments which surrounded the Patriotic Cause ,; the dangers which menaced it; the magnitude of the public wants ; the military, ma. mime, financial, and factious obstacles which the Executive Government had for a long time to en ' counter; the measures by which they were gradually overcome; and the national resources, powers, and , prospects, which have succeeded them. The Presi.' dent strictly confines himself to the internal state of the South Americas provinces. He never once launches out into angry invectives against the Spa ' niards, nor alludes in direct terms to the opposite pre tensions of the belligerent parties. His object seems to be to shew what domestic difficulties had been I heretofore st.rrnounted, and what perfect confidence might reasonably be reposed in the ultimate soccer: of the Independents. He dates the restoration of the public spirit and welfare to the installation of the Congress at Tucuman. The fist instance of activity on the part of the new President, was his visit to the army destined for the expedition to Chili ; and his icsolution and sagacity were strongly manifested by the critical circumstances under which he directed its movements against the enemy. The troops General Sr. MARTIN were rapidly reinforced ; the Spanish Officers LA SELINA and MARCO were baffled ; and Chili fell before the Patriotic arms. The passare of the Andes is here described as a great military enterprize b leadiag friends andifoes to appreciate highly the skill and spirit of the Independents. The army of Buenos Ayres was organized at the same time, and its strength nearly den bled ; the militia was improved ; and the Population generally enrolled and disciplined. To give unity to the tactics and services of the whole ,military establishment of the Republic, the office of Major-General was revived. The arsenals were re plenished, and materials were provided for a war of ten years' duration. The finances are also represented as having become the objects of close attention to the Government. The taxes were e qualized, and consi derably lightened ; useless hands dismissed from mi nisterial offices.* system of rigorous economy in troduced—and credit and commerce effectettlly re. stored and extended. Nor were the cares of the ad ministration refused to other intr • asts though • less obvious, tungn7torle. Amoupg these ven, the tcnsion of the Southern frontier, over spaciqus fertile, bt't uneult vaa d plains —a rro i nt been relingiiisik-d when formally undertalcen ; which, as the executive Governm ent supply the digent inhabitants with stftlble land s , and means of c.rlture, has now opened a rich 6 r i int e rn a l ci,l on iz a tir m to Cie rople. I t i s curi and gratifying that, am;dtt the storms of war, Education and Learning have been objects of solicitude, by this r e m o t e a ... f t 41 4 m. The College of S. Carlos has b een re - erected, a more appropriate name, and a central point lisped, whence letters, the sciences, and the ci love of liberty, niay one day spread themselves relions to which hitherto all :MUSS was denied th T.. these works of a provident and enligi:tened another has been added, of more rompt and is diate influence on the question between S pa i n South America : a great military defy t has fixed on the frontier, with a capacious tnagazi " a measure wh:ch," in the judgmtt:t of the at " roust give occasion kr some reflection to the in:es" 01 the Patriot cause. The Exposition is, upon the wh o l,, such P.s read with sentimehts of revect and admi r a t i cn . limits today prevent us from Inykg it at length (ore our Readers, but we shall not fail ti..morrow reserve a place for it. This morning we received Norfolk Papers to 18th of Novetab , r, but the following extract is only article of importance : FROSI THE ticitrOLK HERALD or NoVENIREIt 17. Arrived last night the sloop Hermit, Blair, in lour days from St. Mary's, w!;icl► giv:s following intelligence respecting Amelia Islam Tie United States brig Saranac had retur St. Mary's from a cruize, and had brought prizes in with her ; there w s a current rvport the Hermit sailed, that the Patriots were al make an attack upun St. Augustine by water; Morgiana brig, with a tender and one Inge had sailed, and was to be joined by several armed vessels when the attack was to be Captain Blair could not ascertain t h e strength st Patriotic army, nor any other iateihr, ce respect the affair. Amelia IslanJ was still sickly wLen left, the 13th." R. 1711, DECEMBER 17. The Qtleati went yesterday morning at nine o'4 to the Pump Room, accompanied by Prircess ZABETH, Viscountess MELVILLE. &c. &c. The of CLARENCE was absent he has had Anothe r _ _ attack of illness. His Itt,yal Highness is frecp subject to these violent and sudden pains, atisi is said, from the effects of a suppressed gout. Duke received some little benefit from the loss blood. The Doke of YORK arrived here last ni The QUEEN honoured several Ladies with her scnce yesterday. BRIGHTON, DECEMBER 17. The REGENT, owing to the inclemency of the ther, is obliged to take exercise in the Riding Sc Workmen are busily employed in the interi• r ot Pavillon every night till ten o'clock, for the pur , it is said, of getting apartments ready for her JIMMY, who is expected immediately after Chris, The Duke of M• tiritose arrived at the Pavilion four o'clock yesterday a:ternoon, and dined with PRINCE REGENT. DUBLIN. DFCEMBI:R J. " Bulletin—Pkenix Park, Dec. IS, 1417 " The Countess of '1 A I.HOT has had a good Men, and is r as can be wished. Lady Feast:Es and the Chillvn a:, very well." The younger branches of his Excellency the Lieutenant's Family have also bven indispnied. Sir CIIAILI.F.S SAXTON, But. has atr.vcd in t from England. Monday morning the Prince LEOPOLD left Cbret mont and proceeded to Windsor, on a visit to t!e. Princess AudusTA and the Princess :i'.1•111 A. Serene Highness being expected, aparinterits were ' prepared for his reception at the Upper Lldge. Tree Pat MT. proceeded to the [loyal Vault, where he vrreed his grief over the r•rmains of I.is beloved Princes; for near an hour. His Serene Highness retuined to Claremont to dinner; Ire arrived there a lade be •-e 5 o'clock, and found Mr. Dvets, the King's Me.l-:- ger, waiting hi; ref urn, at the desire rf Sir 'tour. DIN FR, to take the PRINCE'S commands, the M•-Nsengtr having brink a letter to his Serene Highness fro:a the Princess of IVAI.F.S, in answer to the communicr• slims conta;ning the distressing and mournful hate i• Bence of the death of the Princess Cuarturrry. In a casual dispute in the house of Cameron, s vintner, at Itothiemnrchus, on the 90;11 of Octof,er last, the landlord interfered, and by some unlucky ttroke, inflicted a wound, which terminated in 0.: death of Ensign Itonmer•sox, one of the part). Cr. the `2.1 ite.tant Cameron was coannine.! fur trial at the t mining Circuit. A letter from dated December 15, says :--- 64,0Ve have just received accounts of the total hos of the Furth picket, from Aberdeen to this port, .1 coast at Montrose, and that the whole of the mt.' have perished ; and that several other ves have been obliged to run on shore, names not krotvn." Extract from the Quebec Papers et the nth Ni r. • " We think it our duty to call the attention of tl.:. public to a subject of much interest to the British Era• pirc, and to these Provinces in particular. It it on!F necessary to look into an .linerican map,cr to Ccrver with an American on the subject, to know that extend their preiensiont to a boundary cutting of 3:1" the Btitish possessions ail the waters of titc'Sz..lo;cl; raver above the great tails, and running up wriAtt A few leagues of the St. Lawrence, from Mat ineel the sources of the iver Due Suit, mar Quebec." 1!!e papers then give lengthened extracts from rite ed treaties, to prove t o te 0 - sett concitravns arc =tete. 1 Fu I Ott , 1 . .icii h .n ; By r the • rd 6rid th gni.) ci s o it Dm , I 011ie. Di d I, un. 'ON It es:a alt A 1: . : de r ic;4 : 6 1 :1 I v e a i I i n — pth • bet. iui ;aline aot 3k the e, " s u s t; rn. 0 4 U s J ngth s I. v :mow 7 1. • t I . I 7. o ed t 9 1 : 1 . 1 1 ; Cri 1: L Capt . ;iv: s t cgs land: 1 11 2 T sew 4 1 , i; nt 31 6 IF. about tt:r; 2 H it . c v.'s 3 IA 'al orb 4 6 3 4 e int •fi th ct apccri 11C W:itm 3 L 4C : 2 4 0 7C o'd E cess E o h 'he Du t h er sev s H 'even. 7 s i rising, 2 C rt. T sh loss 4 i st nig stj her p thew 'T Soho , Tel r or nlb pimp C: .er m 7. 1 lrinnu. riliou with to 1 it r, 11117. f 11 uc7.- a:, 6, 'V be 1;: • of I in t r wi, Members in the House of Com.mons, 1.1 prccure him' an Earldotn. He said that tits half.yLar's dividend, due on the sth January next, was AMOK and that he held annuities from several of the crowned heads of Europe, to the amount of millions. He was in the habit of suffering drafts on bankers for thousands, nay at times for tens and hundreds of thousands, to drop Irina kis pocket-book, as if by accident, that they might be seen ; he talked of loans to pre.ot:s of the highest distinction, on whose estates he had mortgages. He said that the account in the Bristoi Paper was insetted oually without his knowledge, and yet in his own conversation he gave the same extravagant account of his posseuions. " When strongly pressed fur an explanation as to the Deed of GVi by which the legacy tax had been evaded, be said that it was a secret which he was bound to conceal for a time, but it was in an iron chest, buried in the garden of his benefactor. So entire WAS the conviction of his friends as to the cer. tainty and extent 01 his wealth, that a consultati'm was held with two eminent Lawyers, to devise the means of making him a ward of Chancery, and as his wealth was all his own, and consequently there Was no ground for the interference of tht Loan CHANCELLOR, it was settled that he should present le:3 1 ).000 to Lis father, ani4 tile a friendly bill upon which application might be made to the Court to constitute him a ward. _ _ " Theae are hut a iew of the, practices by which the delu►ion was carried on—and it was not till within these two days, that the eyes ot Mr. Weatherby were tully opened to tO►e do.ceit. All the ref:reacts he ob. tained troth the youth have proved td-illy lake, and it appears that in the whole management ot the affair, the lad tnsd not a confederate." THE EVENIAG STAR.