The National Register. — London, England, 1816-07-14 00:00:00

176 fortnne. A vain man may b'econte rich, becaii , e his vanity may thirst for only a single mode of gratification. An ambitious man, n b9.le:rout,a sportsman, may severally control their expenses: but a man who is inveterately thoughtless ot consequences, and callous to reproof--who knows not when lie squan ders money, because he feels not those o bligations which constitute or direct its uses—such a man it is impossible to rescue from destrnetion. We gu farther -we profess not to conjecture to what individuals the above reproach of forgotten friendships has been applied. If against persons of illustrious rank, there never was a more unfounded accusation. Mr. Sheridan, thronghout his a hole life, stood as high as he ought to have done in the quarters alluded to. He received the most substantial proofs ot kind and anxious attachment from these personages ; and it is to his credit that lie was not insensible to their regard. If the mistaken advocates of Mr. Sheridan were so much his cue:flies as to wish that he had been raised to some elevated office, are they not aware that even one month's active a.tendtioce out ut twelve he was at all times utterly incapable of gis in:;? But what friends are blamed for neglecting Mr. sS;ii-ridan N' hat friendships did he ever form? We more than dw a ht %%hailer lie could fairly claim the rights of friendship with guy leader of the Whig administration. We know that he has publifti.v asserted Mr. Fox to be his friend, and that he has des elt with ouch eloquence on the :sweet, and enjoyments of that connexion : but it has never been our fortune to find out that Mr. Fox hod on any public or private occasion bound him- . self by reciprocal pledges. Ev idence against the admission of such ties on his part may be drawn from the well-known anec dotes of what occurred within a few da)s of that statesman's death. The fact is, that a life of conviviality and intemperance seldom favours the cultivation of those better tastes and affec tions which are necessary to the existence of intimate friend ship. That Mr. Sheridan had as many admirers as acquaint ances, there is no room to doubt: but they admired only his astonishing power •: there never was a second opinion or feel ing as to the unfortunate use which he made of them. We have now per formed an honest duty ; and, in many par ticulars, as humbling and most distressing one we have found it. Never were such gifts as those wl ich Providence showered upon Mr. Sheridan so abused—never w ere talents h o miserably perverted. The tern*" greatness" has been most ridiculously, anal, in amoral sense, most perniciously applied to the character of one who, to speak charitably of him, was the weakest ut men. Had he employed his matchless endowments with but ordinary judgment, nothing in England, hardly any thing in Europe, could have eclipsed his name, or obstructed his pro gress. It is the peculiar praise and glory (door political con stitution, that great abilities may emerge front the meanest sta tion., and :mire the first honours of the community. It is the nobler praise. and purer happiness of our moral system, that great vices throw obstacles before the march of ambition, which no force nor superiority of intellect can remove. The recent news from India has given an interest to every thing relating to the political state of that country; and the movements of the chief country powers are look ed to with some anxiety. By letters from Lord Moira it appears, that Scindiah, whose interference in the war is matter of great apprehension, was at Gwalior with his army. It will be remembered, that this celebrated fortress was ceded to the English by the treaty conclu ded with the Mahrattas by Lord Wellesley, in 1804, and then considered as the main bulwark of our defences in that quarter. It was, however, afterwards restored to Scindiah by Lord Cornwallis, under express orders from this country. The Madras army under Colonel Dovcton is srsembled at Elichpoor in the Dekkan, in a high state of efficiency, and 30,000 strong. The subsidiary troops of the Nizam and the Peishwa are at Jaulna. These forces are considered adequate to the business of keeping Scin diah and the Rajah of Berah in check ; and, besides, the Bombay army is ready to move when ordered. Extract of a letter, dated George-town, Demerara, May 2d, 1816: " At length the thunder has burst upon the devoted colonies. Yon will base all the particulars of the insurrection at Barba dots, and I only now wish to give you a faint idea of the alarm in this rich and flourishing colony. When we may be called to the combat, I know not; but our situation is most distressing. Onr population is about 50 blacks to one white person. Our force consists of about sor 600 troops in the ex lensive colonies of Demerara and Essequibo; and the only militia that can be of any use are those in town, consisting of about 300, badly disciplined. We have no place of arms, no fortifications; an open defenceless town, with a small batter) towards the river. open entirely in the rear. Martial law is not yet proclaimed, bat we expect it every hour. lam given to understand it is our governor's intention to call out the sea men from the merchant vessels to do garrison and town duty. P,operty is dreadfully depreciated; as estate, worth, a few months ago, 20,0001., may be purchased, I should think, for 12 or 15,0001.; and every other description of property in the same situation." A letter from Milan, dated June 14, says—" From the observations made with the Pluvimeter at the Observa tory, it appears, that since 1773, about the era of the introduction of Conductors (to preserve buildings from lightning) upon the old Continent, the quantity of rain Las increased in the enormous proportion of one-fifth, and the decrease of heat, and the ("oldness of the earth, has been in the same proportion. " A great number of curious persons and men of learning are gone to Villeja, in the Duchy of Placentia, to be present at the excavations, which were to be con tinued on a great scale; they have been re..umed upon a plan opposite to that which has been hitherto followed. Since the death of the Duke nothing has been done to discover the city of Villcja, the capital of a flourishing republic, and which disappeared by a catastrophe, of which the details are in Pliny. Some private baths have been discovered, and gold medals, of the reign of Trojan. Two statues of Vesta have also been discovered by several marble coltunns. It is hoped the whole city will be discovered. Villein will rise from its ruins to astonish the world. Two hundred thousand francs have been placed at the disposal of the antiquary, Peter Lama, to dirc:•t all these Inhoun, in concert with the engineer, Circoncelli," THE NATIONAL REGISTER. PROVINCIA LS. The Duke et' Northumberland's tenants have laid the form dati un..tuue for a column at Aln wick, tar perpetuating the re myelin mice of his Grace's many acts of belies olence and gene rosity. Holkhant Sheep-shearing commenced on Monday, the Ist inst. The company began to assemble about 10 o'clock, and proceeded to Longlands, the shearers were at work in Mr. Bullen'a barn. The neatness of the shearing WAS, as usual, ninth admired. Notwithstanding the rainy weather most part of the day, the company did nut retinal to the Hall till three o'clock ; when about 100 Noblemen. Gentlemen, and Farmers, sat down to rl' r; Mr. Coke presiding at one table, and the Duke of Bedford at the other. One of the most festive, and at the same time amicable and orderly days ever passed in Stamford, was spent oil 'Tuesday seamight, the day on which the Marquis of Exeter completed his 21st year. Nmuerots parties sat down at different imis, and a company of UM (invited in the name of the Mayor) at the Town-ball. The state of health of the Marquis slid not permit his attendance ; but the entertainment at all the places was most abundant and handsome ; the total number of guests, about 670, comprising all the friends of the Burghley interest in the town. The noble British beverage brewed at the time of the Marquis's birth had been supplied liberally, in addition to the wines and other liquors, at the public-houses where par ties dined; and the generous atingo told its tale Mall who freely indulged in it. Some of this ale was handed about at the Town-. hall ; in flavour and colour it very much resembled old hoek— in effect, it was brandy. Not the least interesting feature of the eclebration at Stamford was a procession of 116 girls of the Madras School through the town and into Burghley Park ; the children were attei wards regaled eith a dinner of roast beef told plain-padding in their school room (hung with festoons of flowers, and otherwise decorated for the occasion); and several Ladies and Gentlemen, friends of the Institution, served :is waiters to the young party at the entertainment. Ninety-nine children belonging to the Charity School in St. Martin's also were treated with tea; 307 women in Stamford were enter tained in the same way ; 200 widows received ss. each ; all the soldiers' wises, whose husbands were absent, received 2s. ; 66 men and women in the different hospital:: received the like sum; and, generally, it was such a day of jubilee in Stamford and the neighbourhood as has not been known for many years. Saturday morning a dreadful accident beret J. Perkins, at Downlisini market. who was driving a cart laden with mackerel from Norwich. He was found dead on the road near Mark- With his face shockingly bruised, and quite covered alibi la peds of mackerel and the cart ; it is supposed, that he was asleep when the cart was overturned, and the weight of the fish prevented his extricating himself. ' A dreadful tire raged at Buckfastleigh, near Plymouth, on Saturday men:light at three o'clock. It was with some diffi culty that the Mail passed through the crowd. The tire origi. need, it is said, in a blacksmith's shop, which, with the Valiant Soldier public-house, and other dwellings adjoining, were en tirely destroyed. The York Herald says—" We understand the common brew ers in this city have, mach to their credit, reduced the price of their ale les. a barrel of 36 gallons, which will enable their customers to retail it to the public at two-pence per pint. A few days since, as Mr. R. Else, of Bethender, Kent, was tying up a bull, the animal broke thel halter and rail furiously at Mr. E. knocked him down, and gored him in the abdomen, so that the bowels obtruded ; in which state he was carried into his house, but died in a few minutes. Wednesday last, about eleven o'clock, during a tempest, the lightening struck a barn, in the occupation of Mr. Moor, of Messing, Essex, and we are sorry to relate that two men work ing therein were instantly deprived of life. The barn, with its contents, about eleven loads of wheat was entirely con sumed. The unfortunate death of Mr. Lines, of Harpenden, Herta, Was not, as stated in a former Paper, owing to any boiling liquid, but from the fatal internal injuries lie received in falling into an empty vessel. A correspoadent at Tenterden informs ll*, that the hops in that neighbourhood are doing extremely well; and that the only fear now expressed by the planters is, that the produce of their gardens will prove too obi/nitwit !—Lesora Paper. The .4yrJaurnal states the following siugularcirennistance : "About a fortnight ago, a carrion crow perceiving a brood of 11 chickens, under the care of the parent hen, on a lawn in front of a gentleman's scat, picked up one; but on a young lady opening the window and giving an alarm, the robber dropped his prey. In the course of the day, however, the plunderer returned, accompanied by 13 crows, when every one seized his bird, and carried Or die entire checking at once." EXTRAORDINARY CIIICUMATANCH.—A young woman, who keeps the turnpike near Henleyamon-Thaines, Oxfordshire-, and who has been married four years, has now nine children, who are all living and well. At her first lying-in she had three children ; at her second three ; at her third two ; and at her fourth and last one. The circumstance kas astonished the whole neighbourhood, and is supposed to be without a parallel In any age or country. Si:Sat:LAIL CIRCI,SISTANCE.—We have enquired into the cir cumstances detailed in the following letter, and can vouch for their correctness :--(ll'uterford Mirror.) " A most singular circumstance occurred in this city a few days ago, in the house of a woman living in Coleberk- , treet. She was working In :ler room, where 31:c had a cat and kittens; when on a sadden she saw a huge rat running, perfectly un concerned, in the room. The good woinau instantly got up, and showed the rat to the cat : but the cat took no notice of it, neither did the rat appear in the least alarmed in the presence of the cat. At length the woman took up the cat, and threw it at the animal, but still to no effect. Next. day the woman had occasion to go to a cupboard, in a hick she kept flue eat and her young—she found one kitten dead, and saw, to her sur prise. the tail of a rat stirring amongst the surviving kittens. Alarmed, she hastened into the shop, where a man had just en tered, told him there was a rat in the room, and begged be would kill It. lie went in: and au opening the cupboard, he found the rat lying with the cat and kittens, and apparently sucking the eat. He immediately killed it. The cat and kit tens were afterwards killed." The late decission in the Court of King's Bench, relating to the Charter of the Borough of Colchester, declares the election of ail persons serving tae office of Mayor some Mr. Hedge, to bare been illegal. A writ of sequestration has been granted ; shit Mr. Smithies has demanded and recovered into'his p -se.- .14311 all the records, as well as the whole of the parapheiriall, usually worn by the Mayor and body corporate. The expense, Aar tiding die late litigation, report says, amount to the enore sous sum of 71+001.: to avoid the payment of which, a writ lit' error has heen tiled liv the vanquished party, and the wadi:Els hereafter to be heard 'before the House of Lords. ATLY 14, 7'o MEN-SERVANTS IN PLACE, .-. ,, •11... • It has lately been stated, that at this time, in conseL (pence of mare• finuilies going abroad for a year or more, there are not less titan tell thousand servants out of employ. A hint or two from a friend may not be unworthy of sour notice.—lf you wish to be retained where you are. it is your best policy to be faithful ; for if you are found otherwise, and should be discharged, there is no chance now of your being hired by any other person.—But Wye', go on in the little per quisites and liberties which you have be, n accustomed to take, as getting at the wine, the tea and stiar, and charging for things bought at market more than you really pay, the danger is that you may, for the sake of the little paltry gain, be lost, without hope of another place. The families that remain at home grow the more scrupulous who they take into their houses, because they may have a large choice, and they are not left to the distress alluring none if they du nut accept the first offer. If you are not !luminal to y orders, or give offence by a short reply, it may probably he the last of the kind which you will ever have to give! It you spend all your wages, snu may expect the next day to be rainy, and being nuprovided for a diz.ner or a lodging, and owing a debt to your washerwoman or shoemaker, the length of time tint you may be out of place now, is so doubtful to what it was ten years ago, that you may stand a fair chance of a gaol, or starving. While you are in place every thing is found for you, without sparing; you have no reason then for spending all your wages ; and if it be done in self indulgence in any thing, you are only carrying coals to Newcastle, and ruining yourselves. The expellee of every thing, and of your maintenance in a family, is now so great, that the slightest offence may present a means for your being stiddenly discharged ; and I therefore warn you of your dan ger. Let me advise you so to conduct yourselves, that the family, or the heads of it, cannot do without you.—Make your selves most necessary to your toaster in his ways—must ser viceable to your mistress in her peculiarities—and a prime favourite with the younger branches, that they may say and do any thing for you, and often tm n the votes in your tkvour. By some of these MC4114 you will slum have to turn to my advice, and to thank your ads iser, w ho looks upon you with confidence, and regards ) our welfare us one who esteems you us FELLOW CHRISTIANS. PROVUDONL—The inhabitants of the metropolis arc very in used in regard to the rate of charges for the necessaries of life. Although cv,ry thing is so cheap ito the country, it all either maintains its original price in London, or has a very small com parative. reduction. Bread, meat, beer, butter, and cheese, and bacon, milk (the latter in particular, keeps its original high price), ought to be reduced nearly one-third ; while at the west end of the town we pay lid, prime roasting beef is sold in Leadennall-market at Yd. Hoes keepers should particularly exantioe their weekly bills for butter, cheese, bacon, It is not uncommon for the trader to make a difference in leis charge, for butter especially, of one-quarter, between the house keeper whu does, and the housekeeper who dues nut, attend personally to his affairs. DREADFUL Srott m.—A letter from Frankfurt, dated June 30, says—On the 28111, a dreadfid hurricane caused horrible ra vages near Vibbel, three leagues f this city : the roofs in some places were torn from the houses, some buildings entirely destroyed, and above 400 fruit-trees torn up by the roots. 'I he hail lay two feet deep in the streets and fields. It was so dark that it was necessary to light candles. The continued rain in this neighbourhood does vast damage. The new mown hay is rotting on the ground, and, unless we soon have dry weather, the standing corn is likely to share the same fide. The vines look well, but cannot blossom for want of warmth. All the rivers and streams are so swelled, ilts,t many mills cannot work. The oldest people do not remember the Maine so high tin such a long continuance at this season. The consequence of all this is, the increasing dearness of provisions. The prospect is not promising kor the wilder. Another letter from Frankfort, of the Id of July, says, that atter two days of fine weather the rain had recommenced an , w ; and should they continue, there was reason to fear an entire loss of the harvest. On Tuesday night, at the conclusion of the Opera, as Mr. and Mrs. Pocock, of Charles-street, Berkeley ,, quare, and family, had got into their carriage at the door of the Opera, and as the coachman was driv ing off, another carriage suddenly rushed upon it, caught the hind wheel of Mr. Pocock's, and instantly upset it. The coachntan was thrown from nff his box with such force against the wheels of an oppo site carriage, that he rebounded back, his head coining under the box of his own carriage as it fell. The poor man received so much injury that his life is despaired of. Mr. and Mrs. Pocock and family received no other injury than the fright. Several other carriages were broken, all through the obstinacy of the coachmen. On Wednesday evening an inquisition was taken at the Crown and Thistle, Bird-street, Oxford-street, on the body of Mrs. G. Riley, the landlady of that house, who on Tuesday night put a period to her existence by cutting her throat with a razor. The deceased's husband had been head waiter at the Gloucester Coffee-house, and had taken this house only a few months; they lived extremely happy with each other, until a pod, his nephew, came from the country, whom he Nut taken into the family, which circumstance had occasioned many quar rels between them. On Tuesday the deceased went out, and returned about in o'clock at night, and was seen to have taken sonic brandy. She then had a few words with her husband, and retired into one of the lodgers' rooms, where she remained until about 12 o'clock. and then came to his bed-room door to get a key, hut refuml to go in at his request- He opened the door, and found her with her throat cut.— Verdict--/asanity. • An Inquest was lately held at Kildare. on the body of 1.. Dove, head steward to R. latouche. Esq. John O'Keefe, Esq. Surgeon, deposed. on the view of the body of the deceased, that he came by his death in consequent* of a pistol-shot, which penetrated the perieranium , and lodged in the brain. Bridget Coghan deposed, that she was servant to Mr. Dove ; that in the forenoon of the 25th alt. she was &sired by live master to go to Shea's, to enquire the privy of his oatmeal. She ac cordingly went, and was informed Mr. Shea was front home: she in stantly returned, and, meeting with Mr. Eustace, Mr. Latotethe's agent, he informed her, that her master was dead, having shot himself in the parlour. When she left the house no person remained with him, and she was absent only about 2u minutes. E. Ryan deposed, that he was under steward to Mr. Lamuche : that on the fatal morning he met with ' Mr. P.m-tare. who enquired after Mr. Dove; that deponent rapped at Mr. Dove's door; but no answer being given, he went in search of bins, but could not find him. lie then went again to the house, and looking in at the parlour-window, he observed Dove lying on his back. deal, and a pistol by his side. W. Euseice, Esq. deposed, that J. Valken burg, tinder steward to Mr. Latouche, having that morning complained to witness that the work was undone, and that he wait at a loss wind to do, witness rode down to Dove's house, who came down stairs, Ile ap pealed to witness to be very ill. who, therefore, recommetuled to him to return to bed, and get voile blood taken from him : that. after sonic ronversation, witness went rway, and rode up to the Park. where he !net wid: the last witness, who ibContipanied him back to Duet's house : and having rapped several times, Ryan looked into the window, where he observed Dove lying dead, with a double-harrelled pistol by his side. Verdict--Fdoic se, and alsu a forkiture of Goods and Chattala.