Star. — London, England, 1831-06-09 00:00:00

111 I i ~ i N~ .j. ~a r . ; 11 : el ' ; , I t ' 1 ! I ; !1' i i • li., 1 1 •t l I.' Ili • ,: 1 I. 111 Bt. E DE MALL—TeiliCittla Leghorn straw hats are manufae- the straw used in the fabrication rely, Grano itarcruolo, or March ! a :vat. There are three v ,riches of it. all equally cultiva icd in the eavirons of Florence. The poorest and most aunty anti serves best fin , the production of this plant when its - straw is intended to be thus used ; and the most the. vied situations, and those most exposed to the air on the summits of knolls and small hillocks, are always to be preferred. If the soil be poor, about two-thirds or three.quartm riore seed is sown th an on ordinary occasions, when the Frviluelinsi of grain is the object—if, however, it be rich ,:rd strong, six times the quantity is requisite. The seed is sown broad-cast ; and it is necessary at cer i3iii distances to form furrows for the drainage of the rain w.itsr, as this grain, in order to produce a straw sufficiently tine for the manufacture of hats, does not succeed except in dry situations, and has no need of any thing beyond a passing humidity. The most favourable period for its sowing in the neighbourhood of Florence, is towards the end of December; but it may be delayed even till the month of March. In sterile ground, it requires but alight covering—two fingers of =oil being sufficient to make it shoot ; hut in a rich soil, and less elevated situations, it must be sown deeper. The gathering of the straw usually occurs towards the end of May or beginning of June—and in dry weather. When sown in a rich soil, it must be gathered a little sooner, as it otherwise would become too strong and rank, and thus its quality be deteriorated. nought also to be pulled—not cut, as in the latter case there is a chance of losing the upper portion—!hat abate the knots, which alone is employed in the plaiting. To obtain a well-nourished and at same time a fine straw, it is essential that the gathering take place be fore the ear he half grown, and ere the grain has begun to form ; it is then full of a nutritive juice which fills the stalk, and which dries up so as to leave the inside empty, and consequently renders it !store liable to break. It is pulled up in the same manner as is done with flax, so as to bring along with it the roots—formed into small sheaves, of such a size only as may be grasped in one hand, and then laid out on the field, and allowed to dry in the sun until the straw cannot ferment, or otherwise suffer by being heaped up in store. _ _ _ To sender the straw fit fur manufacture, it is placed in small portions or sheaves on a dry soil, and there left ex. posed to the sun and the dew, taking care to separate the sheaves from each other, so that they may freely enjoy the h,fiuence of theta two natural agents, by which Its bleach. ing is produced. Four or five days, or even less if the dew be abundant, is sufficient fur this purpose. The bleaching cannot take place, except during the finest weather, as all other humidity than that from the dew stains the straw, and for that reason this operation is usually performed during the months of June and July. In Tuscany it is not customary to bleach the straw, until they wish to obtain the stalk for immediate fabrication. As soon as it has obtained the desired whiteness, they take front each sheaf that portion between the car and the first joint— the only part they plait for the manufacture of hats. The portions of straw thus gathered are then passed through WU phur, for which purpose they are formed into small bunches, which mw be spread out at pleasure. They are soaked in water, and after being well drained are placed within a et ulted chamber, still in b u nches, which arc made to spread cut as much as possible. Sulphur is then set fire to In the midst of the chamber, and all communication with the ex terior air prevented. The object of this fumigation is to whiten the straw—to give it a proper consistency— todestmy any insects it might contain—and to preserve it completely front future corruption. After fumigation, the straws are picked according to their size, and divided into thirty or forty different qualities, which determine the degree of fineness of the hats, and consequently their price. The tresses are generally mac: of three bits of straw, and are more or less broad accord. ing to its quality. The beauty and fineness of the hats de pend, therefore, upon the number of turns the tress makes to compose it. CLIMATE OF ENGLAND.—T. A. Knight, Esq. F.R.S. writes that our winters are less severe than formerly—our springs more cold and ungenial ; our summers, and the latter part of them in particu lar, ns warm at least as they formerly were ; and our autumns considerably warmer. CLIMATE OF PARIS.—M. Bouvard, from an extensive series of observations, continued for se veral years, says, on au average, the sky is covered with clouds 182 days, partially covered 184 days, 142 days it rains, frost 58 days, 180 of very foggy weather, 12 of snow, 9of hail, and 14 of thunder. Mexic AN BEEs.—Captain Beechy observes that the entrance to the hive is always guarded by a bee as centinel. The time each mounts guard l►e believes to be twenty-four hours, but the latter point he is not able to fix with so much precision as the first. COMBUSTION OW AN Al LOY OF TIN AND LEAD, BY ROBT. W. Fox, ESQ.—In the last No, of the Royal Institution Journal, Mr. Fox writes, '• When tin and lead have been strongly heated to gether, the alloy continues ignited for a long time after it has been removed from the flame, throwing out numerous and brilliant ramifications without cessation, till the whole be oxidated, if the quantity be small. The addition of gold does not impede the process, and it appears to be converted into a purple oxide." With platinum in combination, the oxidation is more partial. FIGURE OF THE MAGNETIC EQUATOR.-- It appears that it crosses the earth's equator at two points nearly opposite ; that in the ocean it de clines very little from the equator ; where it ap proaches islands It feels their influence and its de viation increases ; and when it reaches the conti nents of Africa and America, their influence seems to be powerfully felt, and its deviation becomes the greatest. SMELTING OF IRON.—Heated air for blast furnaces has been used for some time at the Clyde Iron Works, and with great success. Experi ments have proved that iron is smelted by heated air, with three-fourths of the quantity of coal re quired when cold air—that is, air not artificially heated, is employed for that purpose. It is sup posed that this improvement will accomplish a saving in the cost of iron in Great Britain to the amount of at least 200,0001. a year. EDUCATION OF TIIE PEOPLE.—In no fewer than a hundred and nine cities and towns inFrance, institutions have already been, or are about to be, established, at the public expense, for the instruc tion, by able Professors, of a portion of the indus trious classes of the people, in the geometrical and mechanical knowledge applicable to the useful arts. The number of pupils is estimated at between four and five thousand. NOCTURNAL TELEG RAPHS.--M. de Courettes, has arrived in London from Paris, with the view of obtaining the adoption of a system of nocturnal telegraphs, The chief improvement is a new and more simple alphabet, or set of signs, by which greater rapidity is obtained. The nocturnal tele graph consists of one lamp fixed on the top of a post to be erected at the proper elevation. Round this fixed lamp another is made to revolve at the end of a moveable beam. A sufficient number of distinct positions may be thus obtained with rapi dity. The distance between one station and ano ther of a diurnal telegraph is usually about eight • or ten miles, according to circumstances, but nocturnal one may be at inte rvals of 18 miles. The first outlay of capital for the establishment of such telegraph, to serve fer both night and day ? in France, is ealoulatect at about 801. for each sta tion ; in Enfeliied the expense would be somewhat greater, andit could be worked for 1001. a year. NEW STEAM DISCOVERY.---The discovery of a new meetetnical power has been announced as the real of modern philosophy ; this newly-in vented power is said to be stronger than any cur rent of water, and to exceed the steam-engine in force, as it has been described in theory to be cer tain and irresistible ; it acts naturally by a con tinual rotatory motion ; it is quite portable, and may be used on all occasions as an economical moving power, the expense attending its use being very trifling. The invento- of this machine being a professed mechanist, and well versed in the sci ences, will no doubt be enabled to apply it for new purposes, and for general utility ; amongst other advantages it will possess the following, and which will be proved according to the strict problem above announced. It can travel and convey im mense loads to all parts of the universe with great safety and celerity, having power to go out of the common roads, so as to arrive at any season at a fixed destination, in spite of all geographical obsta des.— French Paper. STEAM COMMUNICATION WITH INDIA.—A Public Meeting of the Merchants of Liverpool in terested in the trade with India, was lately held at the Und.rwriters' Committee-room. J. T. Alston, Esq. in the Chair—at which the following Reso lutions, on the subject of the communication be tween th;s country and India, were agreed to una nimously : 1. That it is of the most essential im portance to British commerce, and the increasing trade with India, that every facility should be af forded to the conveyance of letters, newspapers, parcels, and passengers, to and from the East In dies. 2. That it appears to this Meeting that this object will he best promoted by the encourage ment of steam-navigation, and that a Memorial shall be transmitted to the Lords of the Treasury, requesting their immediate attention to this im portant subject, by praying them to bring in a Bill to repeal so much of the Act 59 Geo. 111. c. 3, which prevents any higher postage being charged than twopence on each letter, to and from the East Indies, and to authorize an increased rate on all letters conveyed by steam-navigation to and from that country. 3. That it be particularly re commended to the East India Association here, to transmit a similar Memorial, and to pursue such measures as may appear to them most ef f ectual for accomplishing this desirable object. EDUCATION IN AUSTRALIA.—SOMO influen tial inhabitants of Sydney have sent to this coun try the Reverend Doctor Lang, with pots era to make arrangements with the government, for the foundation of a college there. The progress of our Australian colonies has been such as to insure prosperity - to such an undertaking. The sum first required is seven thousand pounds. Government has engaged to advance half that amount as a loan immediately that the colonists have made good the remainder. This has, in fact, been done—four gentlemen have been engaged to conduct different classes. The first classes put in operation will be, probably, a language class, in which the Latin and Greek languages will be taught ; a class of prac tical mathematics, embracing writing and arith metic ; a class of geometry and experimental phi. losophy : a class of English literature or belles i ktires ; and to these will be added a class of mental philosophy. Mr. Carmichael, a gentleman of very high qualifications, has undertaken to make pre parations for this last and most important class, conjointly with the language classes for which he is engaged. APOLOGY FOR NATURALISTS. - We have beard a great deal about the cruelty of naturalists, in running pins through butterflies and such " small deer," but, as Mr. Burchell says, " its all fudge." When Shakspeare talked about the cor poreal pangs of a crushed beetle, be displayed more of the poet than the philosopher. Instead of the inferior animals suffering pain from being impaled, chopped up, or embowelled, they are never, ac cording to the -naturalists, so comfortable as when he exercises his anatomical ingenuity upon them. If our renders will only take the trouble to refer to the article " Animal Kingdom," in the Encyclopaedia Britannica, new edition, they will find some ieformation that will induce them, from sheer benevolence, never to take a walk in the fields without a plentiful supply of pins, knives, scissars, and pincers, to enable them -to add to the comfort of all moths, butterflies, dra gon flies, frogs, spiders, and beetles, that may fall in their way. From that article, we learn that Leeu wenhoeck had a mite which lived 1 1 weeks transfixed by a pin. Vaillant scooped out the inside of a locust and filled up the cavity with cotton. We should have thought that enough to settle any reasonable insect, but not so with the locust, for though, after these ceremonies, he was fastened down by a pin through his thorax, the obstinate rascal lived five months. As to tortoises, they live for months after their brains are taken out, but there are even many men who do very well without brains. Spallanzani cut the heart out of three newts, and they lived, leaped, and swam, for forty eight hours afterwards. M. Virey states that he saw a salamander which was living, although its head bad been cut off two months before, by a ligature. But that is not more extraordinary than the well-authenticated tradition, that Saint Denis, the patron saint of M. Virey's coun try, walked three miles with his head un der his arm, after he had been beheaded. We ate further told that a decapitated beetle will advance over a table, and recognize a precipice on approaching the edge—a matter which, under his peculiar circumstances, we should consider very unimportant to him ; for if he were to fall twenty feet, it is clear that he would not break his neck. Redi cut ofLthe head of a tortoise, which survived eighteen clays. We will only mention one more fact, by way of encouragement to fly-pickers and grub-teasers. Colonel Pringle cut off the heads of several dragon flies, one of which lived four months, and another six months; " says the ar ticle, which seems rather odd (it certainly does) he could never keep alive those with their heads on above a few days." What can dragon flies possibly want with heads ? The following is the population of some of the principal places in the United States, wording to the last census:—New York, 213,107 ; Philadel phia, 161,412; Baltimore, 80,519; Boston and Charlestown ; 70,164 ; New Orleans, 48,674 ; Charleston, S. C. 30,289 ; Cincinnati and sub urbs, 26,513 ; Albany, 24,516 ; Washington City, D C. 18,823 ; Providence, R. I. 17,832 ; Pittsburgh, 17,315 ; Richmond, Va. 16,085. PANORAMA OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE. The STAR has for several months exhibited such a pie. lure of the Domestic Events of the Empire, as never before was attempted. It gratifies unspeakably the nadits of districts who reside in London and distant counties, sad is a LETTS", race Home to every provincial in foreign ec'onttien, Of in the colonies. It raises also into general importance the exertions of local talents in every public cause. Then as this is a duty performed alone by the Start, those local patriots would ill deserve their name, if the STAR and its interests were not reciprocally promoted by them in every district. We know it has been so in many places, and the STAR in principles, and in all the best qualities of a paper, has justified preference; but we reasonably expect the same attentions aysay wnant, as the means of at once recompensing our diligence, and adding to the utility of our valuable and exclusive information. We call also on the Provincial Proprietors of Papers, whose local labours we thus illustrate, and invite with earnestness their powerful attentions in promoting those interests of the Paper which they best understand. We notoriously excel all London Papers in priority of Foreign Nors, and our display of the transactiors of the country is equally exclusive and pie. eminent. ti) 11 , I 11p , , , 1 1 . : 1 1 0 ifellUnt * r E 7 H '. ,!ii4 4— k47 ; lt*K CIENC F, • Tut Bit DI 111;: \ Oir the Leeson strati Vat r he mtmelnilmeh affords the straw um ti there has is termed in Italy, Grano LEICESTER CHRONICLE. LEICESTER PUBLIC DINNER, TO CELEBRATE THE TRIUMPH OP INDEPENDENT PRINCIPLES, BY THE RE- . Tuax or Fey a MEmszas.—The interest which was excited by the announcement of a public dinner to celebrate the Triumph of Independent Principles, was strikingly mani fested by the appearance of immense crowds of persons of all classes, every where to be noticed bending their course towards the New Cricket Ground, from the hour of one to four o'clock on Wednesday afternoon. Rich and poor, old, middle-aged, and youth, of both sexes—all commingled in one vast moving group, were seen hasten ing to the festive scene along Humberstone.gate, during the greater part of the time—presenting a most ani mated picture. Long before the doors were opened to the public, the upper part of Wharf-street was densely filled with persons anxious to obtain admission, which at length became so oppressive to numbers, that instead of conforming to the regulation previously made, of admitting only by tickets, it was found necessary by the stewards to throw open the wide doors, when a rush into the ground took place, that defies description. The electors who were to dine had entered through another door some time, and had taken their allotted stations on the ground till the period for seat ing themselves arrived, when each "district" (comprising about thirty in number) repaired in succession to the tables fixed upon, and took their seats with the utmost order and regularity. The number of tables was nearly one hundred, which were placed on the ground immediately opposite the buildings used for the purposes of refreshment for spectators attending cricket matches, &c. Between each table there were avenues, that communicated with more spacious ones in the centre, leading to the buildings above referred to, where the eatables, plates, cite. were conveniently arranged for the waiters; the whole of the dinncr ground being en closed by iron paling, to prevent intrusion from the great crowd of spectators which surrounded them. On the left side of the ground a gallery in the shape of an amphitheatre was erected, which was occupied in the centre by 250 vocal and instrumental performers, among whom were eigh ty females, (under the direction of Mr. William Gardiner ), and on the tight and left by more than eight hundred ladies, of the town and neighbourhood, whoa: gay attire, reflected upon by a brilliant sun, produced a most splendid effect. Over the gallery, and in ditrerent quarters of the dinner-enclosure, various flags were to be seen floating in the air, with their staves encircled with laurel, which added to the gaiety of the scene. An elevated bower covered with the same beautiful leaf, was erected for the Chairman, (M. Babington, Esq.) at the bead of the tables, who took his seat, having on his right, T. Paget, Esq. M.P. for the county, Wynn Ellis, Esq. M.P. for the borough, and' Admiral Tatham ; and on his left, Dl. Gisborne, Esq. brother of the member for Sta. ford, as representative of Wm. Evens, Esq. M.P. (una voidably absent owing to the illness of a near relative), and John Oldscres, Esq. the proposer of Mr. Ellis at the late election, with on each side of the chair, the committees of the borough members, and many respectable friends to the cause of independence of the town and county, including parties from Hinckley, liarborough, tkc. At the tables in front of the chair, there were about 2,800 electors seated, who, considering that they were principally composed of the working classes , presented a cleanly respectable appearance. In most cases, tradesmen or manufacturers were to be no ticed acting as presidents and vice-presidents for each dis trict, ar.d great order was every where observable. Al three o'clock, (the pudding, beef, fite. having been al ready placed on the tables,) the company was commanded to keep silence through means of a herald, while grace was said, which silence being obtained, and grace accordingly said by the Chairman, the band struck up " The Roast Beef of Old England," and the dinner immediately com menced. _ _ __ _ _ .. _ The dinner, which consisted of excellent roast and boiled beef, with plum-pudding and cheese, having been eon. eluded, and pipes and tobacco introduced, the Chairman gave-- " The King" (which was drank with three times three cheers, followed by the national anthers, song by the Or chestra the whole assembly joining in the chorus, standing and uncovered. It was performed with a precision, and produced an effect, truly astonishing. We are informed, that such was the power of voice exerted oa this occasion, that the woris could be distinctly heard from the distant hills and other equally distant elevated spots.) " The Queen"—(Three times three.) Song—Our Queen is the wife of a sailor. " The Independent Electors of Great Britain,"—three dines three. _ " The Members for the Borough"—Three times three. Song—" Evan and Ellis," to the tune of " Hearts of Oak"—Chorus by the whole assembly. " The health of M. Babingtoo, Esq. three times three. l. the Chairman"— Song—" Begone dull care." "His Majesty's Ministers"—three times three. Song Lovely Peace. " The Alembers for the County"—three times three. Hunting Song—Chorus by the Band. " Independent Freeholders." (Cheers.) " The Ladies of Leicester." (Three times three.) Song—" Here's a health to all good lasses." " The Stewards of the Festivity." Mr. W. BIGGS returned thanks. " The Freedom of the Press." (Cheers.) " The Commercial and Agricultural Interests of the County." (Cheers.) " Civil and religious liberty all over the world." (Cheers.) " GOD save the King" being again sung by the or chest's, and joined in by the whole assembly, the chairman quitted his seat (about six o'clock) and was followed by the gentlemen immediately surrounding him, and thus termi. nated the proceedings of a day, in which every person pre sent seemed to take great pleasure (the females not except ed), and which, we will venture to say, will be remembered to the remotest posterity by every spectator, as one of the most interesting —most gratifying, and most heart-stirring scenes ever known in Leicester. Although there could not, on a moderate calculation, be fewer than twenty thousand persons present, we did not see or hear of a single occurrence which Gould for a moment in. terfere with the pleasure of the day All was good humour and kind feeling, and so well were the arrangements made by the stewards, that the guests at a nobleman's table could not have been better attended upon. When the vast preparation required for this entertainment ate considered, great praise is due to all the stewards fee their indefatigable exertions. 40001bs of beef, 3000Ibs of plum-pudding, 3000 loaves of bread, 2500 gal. of ale, 1001 be of tobacco, 3000 pipes, 9000 plates, 3200 knives and forks, 000 dishes, and 4000 vessels for ale, were all provided tad ranged without the slightest confusion—the presidents and vice presidents of the tables, each attended by his waiter.— performed their v ar i ous d ut i es without the slightest incon venience, and the whole machinery of this Immense festivity was conducted upon a plan for which the stewards deserve the highest praise. A earrerpondent makes the number present more than twenty-five thousand person*. The following is his calsu* laden : titiinate of the number of moons resent in Abe Cdcket mnd at the Public Dinner of the Electors at Leicester, 26th May, 1831, taken at four, p. m. OUBITII. liketors admitted by dinner tickets ... 2800 Wives and Friends of ditto, who joined them and partook of the pudding ... Gentlemen at th. Committee's tables and Clair. man's bower .. Ladies at do • .... .. ... ••• Waiters 180—Carpenters 30—Constables 00—.Cel. lar and larder men 80 Orr,heatra ... 146 ... 300 250 Total number of Guests .. 4128 SPECTATORS. In the ladies Gallery ... ... _. . 82 0 Ladies in the seats adjoining the rails of t wo si des the square ... • • • . .. 580 Space in the front Gallery ... ... .. 180 In the alleys and passages on each side the square 1880 On the Outside of the Square, in the space of 3,82.5 square yards, where all the spectators stood in a dense mass, allowing five persons to each sq. yard ... .. .. .. 18,125 Total... 26,513 MIDLAND REPRESENTATIVE, JUNE 4. Mr. C. A. Thompson of Hounslow has read his Petition to the Union, describing the public robberies committed OD him by the changes in the monetary •stem. The case ought to be widely difused. Thousands have been equally robbed and ruined ; but they have not Mr. Thomp. son's energy to expose the eirenmstances. Will the day of justice precede the day of judgment ? THE Cunarwcy.—On Thursday evening we were pre. sent at the Globe Tavern, at one of the most interesting dis cussions, on the subject of the Currency, which we remem ber ever to have witnessed. It grew out of a petition and singular statement of Mr. Thompson, made to the Council of the Union. We shall offer sonic remarks on this all-important subject next week, and particularly direct the auention of our readers to the sensible remarks of Mr. Muni; and to the luminous and powerful exposition of our monetary system, delivered by Mr. Attwood. The lovers of antiquity and the connoisseurs of enticed. ties, have had a treat during the week, by attending the public sale of the valuable collection of the late Mr. Wm. Allen. On entering the room, we were struck by the sin gular variety presented to our view ; there appeared to be rareties from all quarters of the globe. The autioneer (Mr. Lucas) briefly but appropriately, addressed the company previously to the commencement of the sale, stating, that so rare and valuable a collection must have cost the late pro m icier an immense portion of time, labour, and money. It would occupy too great a space to enumerate the chief arti cles of such a unique collection, but the following are a few of them, which were divided into lets, to suit the conveni ence of the purchasers.--Several very fine mythological busts on pedestals. An extremely beautiful carved paddle from New Zealand, and a great variety of war and other imple ments, from India and China and the South Sea Islands.— Numerous beautifully preserved birds, beasts, fishes, and reptiles. A large collection of fossils, coins, paintings, books, he. But the articles which seemed most to attract the company, were,. book of autographs of Buonaparte and his generals, beautifully bound in Russia and gold ; a chair wh ch belonged to King Charles the First ; an elegant case of French medallions, and a case of Roman and other very curious attic*. The former of these was bought in at the sum of 251. Waawicestnas Aust-Revoan as.—Thc anti-Re formers of this county have subscribed a neat hole.and corner declaration against the bill, in which they describe the bill as deficient in what they deem the indispensable cha racters of a good and rational reform bill, and " conse quently, undeserving their confidence and support." They say, " where) complicated rights and interests are at stake, extensive changes should be attempted only under a para mount necessity, and after the most mature deliberation, and should be conducted with extreme caution." The total number of signatures to this declaration—which bears no date, and evidently has been some months in concoction, for it refers to resolutions in favour of the bill ;adopted at a late (before the dissolution) public meeting at Warwick, as those to which it purports to be a reply—is no more than 232, of whom there are nine Peers, viz. Lords Howe, Willoughby is Preis, Warwick, Bradford, Calthorpe, Itedesdale,Digby, Aybodard, and Butner; of the remainder there are 15 emcee, 2 bankers, 2 attendee, 4 M.D.'s, 5 surgeons, 4 .rwyers, 2 gents, 2 farmers, 3 freeholders, I merchant ; and the remainder have no occupation or description given ! At our Police Office. on Thursday last, Robert Whl =later, of Moland-street, was convicted by the ma tes in the mitigated penalty of 251. for an offence against the 7th sad &it of the. 11/. cap. 52, which enacts, " That if any matter or maker of malt shad treed or force together any corn or grain, making into malt, in the cistern or couch frame, or if any corn or grain, making into malt. shall be found in any cistern or couch frame, so hard, close, and compact, as it could not have-bete unless the same had, by some means or other, been trodden or forced together therein, every mister or maker of malt, who shall tread or force together such corn or grain as aforesaid, or in whose cistern or conch frame such corn or grain shall be found so hard. close, and compact, as aforesaid, shall, tor every such offence, forfeit and lose the saes', of one hundred pounds." Stephen Burnett, an excise, officer, who surveyed the premises of the defendant, stated that on the 24th of April last he found a quantity of grabs in the couch frame, which defendant said had been turned out that morning from the cistern. Witness suspected that there was more in quantity than there should be. tie gauged it, by taking ten dips in different places, and found the mean depth to be 171 inches, which gave in quantity 4.9 bushels and 3-10ths. With the auistance of the defendant he then turned it out, and back again into the couch frame ; and upon gauging it again, in the same manner as before, he found the mean depth to be 19 inches, giving in quantity 52 bushels and 0 10th., being an increase of three bushels and 3.ldths over the quantity taken by the first gauge, and B.loths of a bushel in every 20 more than; is allowed by the Act. This statement was corroborated by another excise officer, who accompanied the last witness. In his defence, defendant said that be was ill in bed when the malt was first put into the couch frame, which was done by his man with out his knowledge. The man left his employ on the same morning, and he had not seen him since. The Magistrates said, that however this might be, he was responsible for the acts of his servants I they would, however,linpoes the lowest fine the law requited to be levied, which was 251. On Monday night last, about a quarter past eleven o'clock the inhabitants of the Vauxhall end of the town, were thrown into the utmost Jane and consternation by a convulsive shock given to their buildings and furniture, which was quickly discovered to be occasioned by the explosion of a barrel of gunpowder. As many erroneous reports had got abroad respecting it, we felt it our duty to make sonte pm titular inquiry respecting the nature and drcumstances at tending the accident, and we now present our readies with , the following_ particulars, which may be depended gm as authentic. The powder 251 be. in quantity, was stored in an upper warehouse. situated in Bruton's-walk, Prospect row, belonging to Mr. Ash, Druggist, and Drysalter. In the under warehouse were casks of oil, hupentine, rosin, pitch, tar, ar.. ac. A number of persons were, of course, quickly drawn to the spot after the report of the explosion was heard, all was Men enveloped in smoke and twins, and some of the oil casks, Ac. in the under warehouse were on fire, but by the prompt exertions of Mr. Beck. the bead• borough of Aston, and some assistants to whom too much praise cannot be given, the fire was ipeedlly extinguished. Bram tarostiat, June 2.—The duty on foreign wheat stands at 13s. Bd. per quarter, is ex pe cted to advance, and hitcher prices are in consequence asd, but were not oh. mined at this days market; the fineness of 'the weather, which at all seasons of the year has its influence on the corn trade, together with the liberality of the supplies both of English and Foreign, and a disposition in some of the holders of Fords' to press sales, cheek any present rise, quotations therefore remain the same as last week, and a limited business only was done. The malting season is nearly at an end, and HO, is doing in the article of barley, but as the law now enables the Imitator to water the floor every night instead of twelve days, be will be able to work later than heretofore. As the demand for malt Ii pretty good —end as the best quality of barley is scarce, it is probable that the whole of It will be wanted. Man money is asked foe oats and Walla, the supply of each, if good qualities, is rather shoat, and such are expected to reach higher prices. There is a very fair demand made for flour at the present rates. Wheat, per 82 lbs.—English, 8s 6d to 91 4d; Irish, 7s to Ils; Poesfp, 7s 61 to es 4d. Barley, pet qr.—Engllab, 444 to 411 s; Irish, 40s to 421 ; Foreign, 40s to 44a GAM. lags es lid to 4s per 49 Die. Oats, per SO lbs.—Englisb, old to 4s ; Irish and Foreign, es ed to 4s. Malt, fs to Ogee per bushel. Bouts and Peas, pet 196 lbs.-01d, Ws ; new, Ns to 17, ed ; rue, taro Ns. Pleas, per 80 lbs.—Fine 641 to 46; seconds, 611 to 525. American ditto, 35. to 36s per barrel. WoLvaniumwrox—Whest, lls to Its Id. B a h,. fills to 48s, Winchester. Oats, 22s to 325, eight Beans, new, 17s 6d to 18s, 10 scores; do. old, 203 to 21% MARRIED. —Mr. J. W. ehowell, of New.atrixt. ;,) Eliza, daughter of Owen Johnson, Eaq. of Cameen.l.lll.- At Aldborough, John, eldest son of the Rev. J. Wilw, Ann, second daughter of the late Mr. Illarmaduke merchant, of Borougbbridge. DIED.-77, Lydia, relict of IL Amphlttt, Faq. Oro:. - wich.—W. Beetlestone, Esq. of Wolverhampton. C 1 ICKETINO. Thet grand match between the gentlemen of the Norwich and Mary.la.bonne Clubs, was resumed at Lord's Ground in the presence of many spectators of rank and reapectabiliiy: It will be recollected that the Norwich gained in their fr.i innings 113; and the day's play terminated with the llday_ la-bonne scoring 111 in the first innings with only tiv. wickets down. The remaining wickets were nut Insert, until 34 more had been added to the list, making the fir.., Innings of the Mary.la-bonne 145, and being 141 more than that of their opponents. At this period of the game the odds, which were, in the first instance, in favour of Nur with gentlemen, took • different turn, and Gto 4 were freely betted on Mary-la.bonne. The second innings of tit Norwich gentlemen proved a good one, they bore d I is. ' which left the opposite side 112 to go in against. Mud! interest was consequently excited, and the termination of ti.e game looked fur with great anxiety. At the cha se o f the day's play, the Alary-la-botne had only scored 41, lea v i rg them 64 to get with three wickets, and the odds consequently in favour of Norwich on Tuesday night were 7 and Bto I. I The wickets were pitched again yesterday morning about eleven o'clock. SCINTILLiE. TEMPTATION.—Dr. Ratcliffe, attending o n , of his most intimate friends in a dangerous illness, refused, with an unusual strain of generosity, to take a fee. The patient insisted, but the doctor was positive. When the cure was performed, and the physician about to take his leave, "Sir," said his friend, " in this purse I have put every day's fee ; nor must your goodness get the better of my gratitude." The doctor eyed the purse, counted the days in a moment, and then stretching forth his hand, said, "Nell, I can hold out no longer; single, I could have refused them for a twelvemonth ; but altogether they are irresistible." EDITORIAL DILEMMA.—The editor of the De merara Paper, in announcing the non-arrival of intelligence, bewails his misfortune in the following original manner:— " It is really a hard fate in an editor to be expected to give news when there are none. Were we in England now, the thing is easily done. But so it is ; and unless some vessel would come in, to let us know what our fellow mortals are a doing on the other ride of the herriug-pond, we cannot give, as we dare not make, news." Sir James Macintosh, in the narrative of the plot of Perkin Warbeek, speculates, with his usual sagacity, upon the turpitude of Sir Robert Clifford, as a witness au. borned to effect the execution of Stanley, first Karl of Derby. The specuLttions of Sir James are boruc out by a document that seems to have escaped his attention. In a manuscript roll from the Itemembrancer's office, is an account of the p r i v y purse expenses of Henry VII. in which there is an entry of the (for that time) enormous sum of 5001. paid to Sir Robert Clifford, without mentioning for what service. The succeeding entry is curious ; " To W. Hoton and H. Wode ford, for bringing of Sir It. Clifford, in rewarde, 261. 13s. 41." 101. was the fee, from time immemorial, paid by a peer to the executioner, who struck cff his head with the axe. In this roll there is an entry, "To Rir William Stanley, at his execution, 101." When Lord William Russell was going to the scaffold, he asked a by-atandcr what was the customary fee to the exe cutioner ? " 101." was the reply, and he immediately took the money from his purse and paid it to the man who held the axe on the scaffold. MODES OF LIVING AMONG THE CHINESE...-. The modes of living among the Chinese are, of course, very different, according to the rank and wealth of the people ; but the extremes of luxury and misery are nowhere more ludicrously contrasted. Those who can afford to pur -1 chase rare and expensive delicacies grudge no cost for them, as is proved by the price paid for edible birds' nests (glu tinous compositions, formed by a kind of swallow in vast clusters, found in caves in the Nicobar aml other islsnde), five thousand dollars being sometimes given fee a pkyl, weighing 133 1.3 lbs. In the streets multitudes of men are employed in preparing these fee sale, with a pair of tweezers plucking from them every hair, or fibre of Mau, or extraneous matter • and, at the same time, easefu ll y pre. serving the form of t he nests, by pushing through them very slender slips of bamboo. Sharks' fins are 6 prised, and when well dried, they fetch a great priers The (a horrid-looking black sea-slug, forrneripiescribed), brought from the Pacific Islands, is also exceedingly esteemed by Chi nese epicures. But, while the rich fare thus sumptuously, the mass of the poor subsist on the veriest garbage. The heads of fowls, their entrails, their feet, with every scrap of digestible animal matter, earth worms, sea reptiles, of all kinds, rats. and other vermin, are greedily devoured. We have noticed lots of black frogs, in half dozens, tied together, exposed for sale in shallow troughs of water. We have seen the hind quarter of a horse hung up in a butcher's shop, with the re commendation of the whole leg attached. A lodger in our hotel complains that, his bedroom being over the kitchen, he is grievously annoyed in the morning by the wises of dogs and cats, which are slaughtering below for the day's consumption—but not at our table. Not a bone nor a green leaf is ever seen in the streets; some use or another is found for every thing that would be refuse elsewhere. POPPING THE QUESTION. —The desperate struggles and fiesodering by which some endeavour to get out of their embarrassment are amusing enough. We re member to have been much delighted the first time we heard the history of the wooing of a noble lord, Dow no more, narrated. His lordahip was a man of talent and enter. prise, of stainless pedigree, and a fair rest-toll, bat the veriest slave of bashfulness. Like all timid and quiet men, he was vety susceptible and very mutant, as long as he was in the habit of seeing the object of his affec. tions daily. He chanced, at the beginning of an Edin burgh winter, to lose his bean to Alias—; and as their families war in habits of intimacy, he had frequent opportunities of mating with her. He gazed sod sighed incessantly—a very Dumbiedikes, but that be had a ismer diorama of brain ; be followed every where ; he felt jealous, uncomfortable, ravage, if she looked even civilly at another; and yet, notwithstanding his stoutest Imo. Intions--notwithatanding the encouragement affoeded to him by the lady, a woman of mass, who saw what his lordship would be at, esteemed his character, was superior to girlish affectation, and made every advance consiseent with womanly delicacy—the winter ware fast fading loos spring, and be had not yet got his mouth opened. Mamma at last lost all pa tience; and one day, when his lordship was taking lassoed lounge in the drawing-room silent, or an occasional mono. ssyllable, the good la d y left the roam and locked the pair in ome. When his lordship, so essaying to take his lone, discovered the predicament in which he mood, a desperate fit of resolution seised him. Miss .-- sat beading most assiduously over her needle, a deep blush on her cheek.— His lordship advanced towards her, but, losing heart by the way, in silence to dm o th er cod of the room. He ret to the charge, but again without effect. At last, nerving bimetalf like one about to spring a powder. mine, be stopped short before her—" Miss will you many me?"—" With great pleasure, my Iced," was the answer, given in $ low, somewhat timid, but unfaltering voice, while a deeper crimson su ff used the face of th e speaker. —Ands right good wife she made to him. BIRTH. The bib Init. at Enough, the lady of J. F. W. Herschel. Esq. of a daughter. MARRIED. The 7th lest. at Mershon. Survey, J. Mennen, M.D. or tbo Royal Mlihary Asykaos, to Mho Phillips, of Hill.lodp. DI ED. Yesterday morning, at her re;idenes, in Upper Bake street, Mrs. Siddons.—The 7th inst. at she Howe of Lords. Mr. T. Wright, one of the principal doorkeepers, in the 6&h year of his age.—The 7th but. in the 16th year of his ax. Henry, the oldest son of Mr. H. Watson, Old Hood.etreet. —The 7th inst. Mr. O. Johnston, late of the India Wad. at his house, Wove, Camber well.—Tbe 7th inst. the infant Goo of Captain I). R. Newall, East India Senior.-1 1 w 3d inst. at Rending, Stephen Mihaly, Beg. in the 87th year of his age.—. The 311 inst. at his son's ratilklKCS the Mount, La. 'tetrad, Wynn Smith, Esq. in his 711th yez. Lannon: Printed and Published by Joan MATER. al the STA% Orms, No. 1, Piekeu-place, Tab* Ng. C I ; of 1 ogo 011 min Ap DO wit