The National Register. — London, England, 1814-10-16 00:00:00

OCT. 16. FULMINATING BALLA —MOllddy, C. Pianca, of Exeter-Change, Strand, was , soltudotied on an information laid against him, for to Lavender, the officer, six tire balls, called fulminating peas," %%nick bring thrown on the ground with fort*, or pressed by the foot . explode with a great noise. The information was tinder the Act of William, which makes it M. penalty " to sell, or expose for sale, serpents, rockets, or other fireworks." Mr. Bankes, optician. Strand, stated, that although unconcerned with Mr. Piavers, he felt interested for an ingenious -iiireigner, who was at present abroad, and consequently ambled to defend himself. He would undertake to prove, that these balls or peat, coed not be called fireworks ; and to demonstrate this, the opinions of the counsel had been taken, who .4n/et' that the articles did not fall within the Rivalling of the Act of William. There was nothing like tire in them, for divas explosion would not ignite gunpowder. He would 'prove this by experimeut. (Here one of the peas was thrown with great on the ground, which exploded with a flash.) the Magistrates interrupted the exrePriments, observing, that the flame hie!' they had seen sufficiently satistied..their minds. They required no terrible experiments. Mr. !lattices said, that there were various sort% of fire or flame, galvanic. electric, &c.; and according to the preteut doctrine, the sun itself, which looked like flame and imparted beat, was not fire.. Mr. Fielding observed, that the Act did not restrict itself to arti cles made of gip:ponder, for it never mentioned gunpoirdtr—it spoke of "fire-works." It contemplated the genus generalissinium utfire— every species of tire that the chemist's power could produce. If these peas produced fire , them came they within the Act. But how was tire defined ? Johnson called it " the igneous element," and in the present inAnnee the igneous element had been elicited—there had been produced an ignited spark. The proof of that fact It as enough. Mr.•Colgiihnon asked to what use these balk could be turned ? Mr. Hanker replied, that they could be of no use, but to demon strate the fact that they did not produce any ignited spark, as the 3lagistrates imagined, he wished to try the experiment which he wits before going to make, namely, to explode one at the balls sur rounded with gunpowder, which explosion would not ignite. The experiment had been successfully tried over and over again, at the Royal Institution, in the presence of Sir H. Davey. (Mr. B. then . pulled mit of his pocket a canister of gunpowder, for the purpose of exploding a ball in the (Tittle of it, to show that its explosion would not ignite powder ; but the Magistrates would not allow the experi• men% Mr. B. however, tried it on a smaller scale, by folding about half an ounce of poasd. r in a paper, enclosing at the same time a pea, bud Oleo pressed the paper with the foot when the ball exploded at the same time igniting the gunpowder, and burning the paper ! !) Mr. Bankes, after having thus refuted himself, stated that he must give pp the defence of the balls, but assured the Nlagistrates, that he felt himself' so convinced of the truth ut what he had asserted, th et he would willingly have exploded one of the balls in the centre of a barrel of onnpois der ! Tirt Magistrates thinking further proof could not be Desired, pro nounced the party convicted. Penalty, 31. Mr. Pianea's daughter, as.d the keeper of the depot in the Strand, attended fur Mr. P. OH Tuesday, at the same office, J. Cooper, of Drury-lime, Che mist, as summoned on an information :or selling Lavender, the officer, six fire-works, called Detortatiug Balls, being a similar pre paration to the Fultuniating Peas ; and he also was convicted in the. rioalty of; 1. It is intended to appeal against these convictions. UNION-HALL. Our reiders will recollect that in June, 1813, Mr. Oakley, of Kenninttondanr, was shot at and desperately wounded one night am , he was paseing threnEls Weymouth-street, Newington, at a Lite hoar in hi s wa y home. Three slugs entered hi* side and back, and for several months no hopes were entertained of his surviving. He is now, bov ever, o tar recover.Nt as to be able to attend to It's busi• hrss. thong!' two balls have not been extracted. At the tune the transaetion took place, it was ascertained that Mr. Oakley was shot at h. nne -of two men, Mho came from a house in Weymouth-street. Due of these persons was at the time taken into custody and under went several examinationi at Union-Hall, but it appearing lie viia4 tot the person who fired, be was discharged. The other nom, it appears, escaped, and went to sea on board an Indianian, and did not return till within these few (lays, when Mnow, the officer, having received information of his being in town, succeeded iu discovering THE NATIONAL REGISTER. POLICE. QUEEN SQUARE. and taking him into custody on Friday. Yesterday he Inas briell t ht before Mr. Evatice, and committed for re-examination, when Mr. Oakley will attend. ACCIDENTS AND OFFENCES. EXTRAORDINARY Dtscoviuv.—lnformation had been for some tune received, that it was in the conteniplation of a gang el thieves to break open and rub the General Post Office, and to carry off the coR• rents of the iron chest, in the Receiver-Ueneral's Office, which ire. Trendy contained Bank of England and other notes to the amovist of from 11,1 1 001. to imool. Lavender and Vickery, those highly meri torious otkers of the Police, di•coverei the plAu to exist heyond a doubt ; but, notwithstacidingt, the Officers ut the Post Office treated the plan us impracticable, eard even chimerical, every door, place, and lock being deemed so thoroughly secure, the lucks being the best that could be made, particularly tlw lock in the Receiver General's Office ; however, there is no doubt but (with the watchfulness and di. ligence of those entrusted with the cars of the Post Office, and the boated security of the locks) that it has been entered, and several locks, and even that of the iron chest uponed, the contents examined, but nothing taken out, the booty not being deemed setPciently large to take awi.y ; this was all done without the least suspicion or disco. very by the Office:s of the Post Office. Thursday was the day ap pointed to conviuce Mr. Freeling, the Secretary, and Mr. Parkin, the Solicitor, and other Gentlemen belonging I. the Post Office, of the possibility, as well as the. practibility, of passing all the locks, includ ing the iron chest, without using any violence. Lavender and Vic kery attended et the Office tot that purpose. and having discovered the gang of thieves who were to have effected the robbery in a quiet manner, they produced the implements that were to have effected the purpose, which they had procured after great exertion and perseve rance. The doors being all locked in the most secure manner possible, by and in the presence of the principal Officers belonging to the Post Office, Lavender and Vickery produced a master key which passed all the lacks leading to the place where the iron chest is deposited, in the Receiver General's office, with the greatest possible ease, and they produced another Ley which opened the lock of the iron chest with out any tioi-e or difficulty ; this was thought most extraordinary, as the key of the chest i 4 never out of the possession of the person villa has the care of it, and who is accountable far its vultures, and thus the Police officers gave proof positive of what was in cooteniphoen to be done, and for which the public are highly indebted to ( John tor their eiunient services in preventing a great national robbery. MARRIED. At Steeple Aston, Oxfordshire, the Rev. James Saumarez, A . l. A. of Christ Church, Oxford, e'dest sou of At h Sir Charles Sxu tnarc•z. Bart. li. B. to Maly, second daughter of Vice-Aduiirat Leehmere. DIED. • At her house in Grosvenor-square, aged 91, Jane, widow of the Right Hon. Sir It. Heron, Batt. At Wincenton, Somerset, in his 521 year, after a severe indis position, the Rev. H. Hopkins, B. L. youngest son of the late Rev. H. Hopkins, Vicar oflton and Compton Li Ncw Norfolk Itticet, Lady Cunlitre, relict of the late Sir E. Conldle. ...... At Putney, Surrey, at the advanced age of Eit, Elkvin Sandy, foriinnly an inhabitant of ColeinAcr, and last surviving brutlier of the late Rev..'. Sandys, of Lexden. LOWE'S PATENT SI-MIMING CLOTII. The only Mannteictnre in Great Britain in which the advantages of Eng Flax and Cotton are united in one Thread. Established in 1808. Its pecuillar textarc frees it from the injurious cold or chill PXpe• riCON 11 In the % 1 1 tar of or other Lincita, and the Inlideavallt sensation peculiar to Fabrics made wholly of Cotton. For durability, beautiful appearance, comfort in wear, and great economy, this Manufacture (after five ve4re trial) stands unrivalred. Sold at about lialfthe price of Irish or other fir4e Lineus, at the Patentee'. Vti.irelionse, 154, ClieapAde, near St. Paul's akid Head. ing and Co. 89. '•.,* This 31anufactute. after several years extensive sale, hating ac quired such distinguished patronage and , ipprobatiots, as to induce &woe S ..otinke ;per, to offer articles iiiidtr vat taus new title , of IlPer" 1 Pa nt Shitting 417..03 of which arc made of Cotton. and (hi: :rev- Pertio f2f C &iv() 45ting so gooerally and well known, require no comin nt. I *