The National Register. — London, England, 1811-04-07 00:00:00

ris Iwo. • WINN to universal benevolence ; not with that fear which almost pre ludes hope and clouds the brow of the superstitious with melan choly despondency, the only companion of Vice or distemper ; nor with that trembling which • narroivs the toneeptions and blasts all the social duties, without which, in their purity, virtue cannot properly be said coexist, as " no life is acceptable to God that is not serviceable to man ;" for the Deity can receive no augmentation of happiness from the adoration or excellencies of millions of worlds, and therefore he will only judge of our vir tue as it has served to better the condition of our fellow crea tures, which is the only safe way of bettering our own. To be lieve we are predestinated to be damned must produce despera tion and .madness, and is highly detrimental to the Christian religion, for as we are told " to knoCk and it shall be opened,' to every one who knocks it will be opened, and he who " seeks the way is sure to find it," because God has said he will direct him in his search. Let us then look to the practical parts of religion and leave the metaphysical to those who are " too curious" for the condition of maw; it is the wisest way, because, according to the Scriptures, the most certain. This observation will natu rally lead to the contemplation of works and their efficacy in the scheme of Christianity ; which I shall expatiate ur on in a future paper. A LAY MAN. March 25, 1811. MIRACULOUS ESCAPE . We have been favoured by a gentleman, passenger on board the ship Cornwall, Capt. Peat, bound to Jamaica from London, which arrived on Sunday-last, with the following particulars of her voyage here, after having lost her rudder in a gale she en countered in the Bay of Biscay. The Cornwall had .200 re cruits and 16 officers on board, for the different regiments in the West Indies; the whole. wailer the command of Captain Cameron, of the 6th Wcst Willa regiment. On the ad of January, in lat. 45. 18. she encountered a very se vere storm, which increased in the evening will' such violence Its to endanger her satety. During the night, the gate still con tinuing, she unshipped her rudder, which, on disengaging, tore away the helm, stern, and counter, but fortunately did not in jure the stern-post, or she must have foundered. She was thus rendered a wreck, and became completely unmanageable. On the following morning the wind abated ; but in the after noon it blew a hurricane, when all on board, amounting to nearly 300 souls, momentarily expected a watery grave. Capt. Peat, having foreseen the storm, hand fortunately placed the shill in its best possible state; and , during th e g ale, the exertions .of himself and crew are beyond praise. At the dawn of day on the sth, the gale subsided, and a gleam of hope succeeded, depending on the friendly assistance of some vcssel'that we might Lain with, as wediad the signal of distress tlyings About two o clock a ship hove in sight, and carne doss n 'to witness this scene of wretchedness. When she came within bail of the Cornwall, the master having observed our loss of the rudder, promised to keep by us. Allowing, however, no fur ther time for conversation, he unexpectedly shot a-head; and as 'the sea was running mountains high, no boat could be sent oil to explain the assistance we required : thus, when a prospect of relief was In view, did this monster, in the shape of a man, 4nake sail from us, and left the miserable to their fate. After being thus ebancloned, it became necessary to devise 't sine method of governing the ship ; a jury-rudder was therefore made by means of a spare fore-top-yard, at the end of which were fixed pieces of square plank, to serve as a paddle, reeved ' with blocks and tackle, ingeniously contrived by Capt. Peat and the carpenter ;.this served as a rudder, and requiring great power to assist in steering, was supplied by the exertion of the sol diers, under the direction of Captain Cameron , wh o re g ularl y did this duty until the 13th, when it was contrived to work with • the wheel of the lost rudder. Considerable delay was occa sioned by the repairs this niachinery requiled, and the improve manta that were daily discovered, which rendered the working of the vessel more steady; and by unparalleled assiduity and perseverance, the vessel was safely brought to anchor in Carlisic Bay on the 10th instant. THE BRITISH NAVY.—There are at present in commission .159 ships of the line, 20 from 50 to 44 guns, 168 frigates, 153 sloops or war, 5 fire-ships, 174 armed brigs, 37 cutters, 76 schooners and tuggers, making altogether 792 ships of war; be sides which there are building, repairinr, and in ordinary, as many as make the grand total 1066, of which 256 are of the COURT OF. COMMON Thursday a Court of Common Council was held at Guild hall, at which the Special CoMmittee appointed to procure models for a statue of his Ifajestv, presented a report, together with four models, for the Court to select one of them ; and die Court agreed, to employ the artist of the model marked No. 9, and referred it to the Committee to superintend the erection of the same forthwith. The General Purpose Committee presented a report for allowing'a further sum of 15001. to the late, present, and future Lord Mayors, which,, after some observations, was agreed to. BATTLE OF BARROSA. The Thanks of the Court, Freedom of the City, and a Sword of the value of two hundred guineas were unanimously voted to Lieutenint-General Graham, for the great skill and valour displayed by him on the sth of March last, iti the brilliant action on the heights of Barrosa, which terminated in the complete overthrow and defeat of the superior forces ef the enemy. The Thanks of the emit, Freedom of the City, and a Sword of the.value of one hundred guineas, was likewise voted to Bri gadier-General Dikes, for his conduct on the above occasion. The Court also voted their 't hanks to the other Officers, Non commissioned Officers, and privates, for their conduct, expres sive of the high sense thCy entertain of the valour, conduct. and discipline displayed by them on that occasion, whereby she , national character of the British Army has been most nobly • maintained and made manifest to Europe and the World. The Lord Maor Vias then requested to communicate the above Resoluuuns to General Graham, and to provide the swords. Ou a mott:ul made by Mr. Dixon the Court unanimously agreed to subscribe the sum of Five Hundred Guineas in• aid of the Fund for the Support .and Relief of the British Prisoner confined in France, which was carried. The Court then adjourned. [CIL. NkTION-Mi..AEGIFITF,R MONTHLY AGRICULTURAL REPORT. The few beans and . peas already abcvc ground look healthy. Spring sowing generally backward, but the Kurds • now work well. The wheat recovered from the degree of damage re celeed during . vvintery and in a flourishing state upon ail good lands; but, on the cold and wet, improvement must he waited far, and will depend on the mildness 0; the Spring. Saint have still a yellow and unhealthy appearance. Accounts from various parts speak well of the retnalniag_tur. nips, and the cattle are said to be in a very thriving state. Win ter tares, r; e, .young clovers, and grass, appear very promising; and the clover seed of last season has proved equal in quality to the tingst of former years, indeed can scarcely be remembered 0 fine. 1-lay very scarce. Stock of cattle in the country abundant, cows radrer dearer. Pigs becoming very plentiful, the price of barley, pease, and beans, having been for sonic time favOurable to the breeder, and a stock of pigs being soon raised. The stock of wheat in the country univer,ally reckoned considerable, still more SO of barley, on -which a farther depression of price may be expected • a circumstance extremely .fav: ) nrabl e to the puhlic, since not only is the breeding of pigs enco ura g ed, which has been do. fective so many years, but vast additional quantities of pork and bacon in cow , :quenoc be made, and the .price of those necessary articles greatly reduced in no great. length of time anwher. large crop of wheat succeed, a great revolution may be expected in the price of all the necessaries of life, an event which will be accelerated by our constant large imports of provisions from Ireland, where also breedinrand stock.fefd big is in a state of rapid increase and .improvement... fall of lambs has been very large and successful, and they are likely to be very early fit for market. T. BISII solicits the attention of the Public to.the Scheme of the present Lottery, which contains Sixty Capital Prizes, all to be drawn on the Birth-day of our beloved Sovereign. Scheme : —4 Prizes of uO,OOOl. are 20,0001. • 2.4 of 10001. are 24,0001., 2 of 5001. are 16p001. ;60 of 501. are :ZOOl ; 1000 of 251 are 2.5,0001. 1000 of 201. are 21) ,0001 .; 2000 of 161. are 32,0001.—.20,(0) Tic ltets.-200,0001.-- rickets and Shares are selling in great variety at both of Buiu's truly fortunatethfices, where in the last Lot. tery 2 Prizes of 20,0001. ip the Lottery before 2 Prizes of 110,6001. and in the last 15 months 7 Prizes of 20,0001. arid 37 other Capital Prizes, were Shared and Sold, and the Monty paid up demand, at 4, Cornhill, and 9, Cliaring-crots. Maximilian De Lisle, a French prisoner of war, had been ap• prehended on board the Glory prison ship, on a charge of having forted a ten pound Bank of England note. William Lee, a private marine on board the same ship, who tendositthe note to a butcher at Chatham, is also in custody.