The National Register. — London, England, 1817-12-29 00:00:00

;~ MC. tit THE ROYAL FAMILY. Her Majesty, the Princess Elizabeth, and attend. ants, arrived at Windsor from Bath, on Monday.— ' In the course Tuesday, her Majesty visited the King. It is slid that a few days ago the King expressed a wish to have a chair made of a peculiar shape, from an idea of feeling more case when fitting. Mr. Butting, the tpholsterer, was directed to make a model agreeable ei to the instructions of the Monarch. The model was pro duced and explaired to his Majesty, who gave his ap proval, and the chair was made. Last week this piece of furniture was sent to Windsor, placed in his Ma jesty's apartments, and the King expressed himself highly pleased with its construction, from the cases'and comfort he experienced. It has been said that the King missed the absence of his family, and every lamming he would make the most anxious inquiries, repeatedly expressing his fears of their death. It was for this purpose of relieving his mind that the Queen visited him. It is said that the .unexpected apprisal of the Queen's presence has been accompanied with much improvement in tranquillizing the King. BarauTox, Dec. 25.—Divine service was performed this morning at the Pavilion by the Bishop of Exeter and the Reverend Mr. Blomberg. The Regent was afterwards on the Palace lawn, and on horseback in the riding school. The palace dinner patty to day, as on all previous occasions since his Royal Highness's return to the town, has been confined to the resident suite, anti the arrivals of last night. Lord and Lady Castlereagh and Lord Stewart. Not an invitation was issued, se ema mon at such a season, nor has the sound of music been heard within the palace walls. WEenson, Dec. •26.—Yesterday being Christmas- day, the Archbishop of Canterbury attended in the ' private chapel, to administer the sacrament to the 'Queen and Princesses, and attendants, according to .annual custom. Her Majesty accompanied by Princesses .Augusta and Elizabeth, afterwards visited the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, at Bagshot, to dine. The house taken by the ae;ents of Prince Leopold, in ' Grosvenor Place, is only a temporary residence fin. two .months: it was principally for the purpose of contain ing the furniture in Cameltinsi House, which has been removed within these few dayS, so that possession of 'Camelford House might be given up before Christmas •.day. 'Prince Leopold has dined with the Duke and Du chess of Glocester at Bagshot, and with the Duke .and Duchess of York at Oatlands, within these few days The Queen will go to Brighton about the .sth of 'January, to pass a fialnight at the Pavilion. Early in February, her Majesty will return to Bath, fur three weeks or a month. Extract of a letter from the British Consul at New - Orleans, dated Aug. •.:3 :—" In respect to the Insur gent privateers, I beg leave to mention for your infor mation that this port has been the rendezvous for a great many of those under the Mexican flag, where they liave been refitted, and becn equipped with warlike stores. As these pirates, however, arc now in the ha bit of plundering. American vessels, and lately took a large sum of specie out of one belonging to the mar ! shunts of this place. the same indulgence will no lon ger-be granted to them. For your guidance I have al so to observe, that almost all British vessels hound here arc detained and overhauled by them, and from the re , presentations of the captains, I have no doubt that, had they met with any thing suitable to their purpose, it would have benn taken without ceremony. It would be very much in favour of the British interests here if they were entirely swept from the Gulf." A letter from New York, dated the 24th ult. states, that adviecs had been received there from Sir James Yee, at Sierra Leone, in which Sir James expresses a strong conviction that the object aimed at by the friends of humanity in establishing and maintaining so expen sive a settlement in so unhealthy a situation, would certainly be followed with complete disappointment.— If the civilization of Africa be the object aimed at, Sir James is decidedly of opinion, and strongly reccom mends the Geld Coast as a much better situation in point of health, and as presenting numerons facilities fir gaining a free and beneficial intercourse with the inhabitants; and us being a ftr more eligible situation for controhing, and, eventually, eradicating the slave trade. The annual meeting of the Society of Schoolmasters was held on Tuesday, at the Crown and Anchor tavern, the Bishop of Carlisle in the chitir, It appeared from the Treasurer's Report, that the fonds of this establish ment were rapidly improving, and its beneficial pur poses increasin ,, in proportion. The Bishop of Carlisle pointed out the great utility of the institution, advert ed to the high respectability and importance of the in- Atruction of youth, and expressed his earnest hope that both he and his worthy colleagues, the Presideats ant Vice Presidents, would, in their elevated situations in the church, " always remember with gratitude the klac• from whence they started.", COVENT-GARDEN. George Barnwell was the play at this house also, and was followed by a new Pantomime called Harkris Gulliver; or the Flying Island. The subject is taken from the celebrated work whose name it bears, and commences with the arrival of Gulliver (afterwards Harlequin) at Laputa. After some previous ceremonies. usual on such occasions, the King, of the Island, the Princess, his daughter, and his Lord Chancellor, (Grim. aldi are severally transformed into the less dignified characters of Pantaloon, Columbine and C/o/va. The fugitive lovers, then proceed to Lilliput, which they reach on a Court-day. The arrival of the diminutive carriages, and the little performers strutting about in their court-dresses, formed a very amusing scene. The visit to Brobdignag was also productive of much comic effect ; and the tall figures, which appeared 16 and 18 feet high, were very well managed ; the best thing here Wilti a strapping child running away with Panta loon in its arms. After a visit to Glubbdubdrib, or the Isle of Ghosts, the lovers proceed to England ; after which the story proceeds much in the same way, and through the same routine of adventures, as these en. tertainments commonly present. The Montagnes Russet were the principal novelty : the tumbling of the differ. eat exhibitors over one another had a ludicrous effect. This pantomime does not abound with transformations: the most striking were a large wine basket changed successively into a stand for empty bottles and a fruit. stall ; and nn ass with panniers into a palanquin with bearers. Grimaldi has a very humorous and well. managed scene whero he dresses himself as a woman in the extravagance of French fashion. The Misses Den. nett danced a rat de trois very gracefully, which WO encored. It might well be supposed that the law against sterilege had been well defined and very generally known, but a question of considerable importance has lately been proposed, and is likely to be agitated, which concern:: the extent of the term and the offence. Lord Coke prescribes the Law, that it is burglary to break into any Church by night, with intent to steal, and he states the distinction to be observed between goods dedicated to Divine service, or merely ecclesias tical, and declares the felony to be cognizable at com. moo law, for stealing the Bible, Book of Common Prayer, Chalice and the like, (2 Inst. 492,) which corn. prises all those ornaments, books, dresses, and utensils, which are peculiarly set apart for the decent order of divine service, and the property of the Church or parish ; but this cannot extend to the taking any Bible, Prayer-Book, or Psalms, left in the Church by any individual, for his own use at the times of his usual resort thither, which does not divest him of his excht. sive right thereto, either in the Church, or to carry away with him afterwards. This, it is presumed, is but a simple felony, and does not extend to the crime of sacrile, , e, although aggravated by the burglary. Mr. Wooler's trial been put off until next Term.—... The trial by Battel, Ashford v. Thornton, is also put off till next Term The French Government has remitted to that or' Saxony the sum of 82,000 crowns, in part payment of its claims for supplies to Buonaparte's army. READY MADE SPEECIIES.—.-A private letter from Paris says:—" It is in the recollection el' every one,. that NI. Lafitte, the banker, made a speech, or rather read u famous discourse, last session. It was written for him by M. Manuel, the advoccte, who tried to get elected last election, but failed ; he, however, does much better ; he has opened a private office for furnish. ing Ftriotie members with speeches, ready cut and dried, at all prices, from 4 guineas to 50. The dis course of Martin du Gray, and several others, were all written by M. Manuel ; and one of the second-hand orators having reffised to pay the price agreed for hit speech, M. Manuel has threatened to sue him for Such a cause as that would be both novel and Curious! The orator, it is said, refuses to pay, because his speech did not produce the effect intended ; and M. Manuel sacs, if so, it was the Slink of the reader, who did not understand it, and not of the author. General Barton, being fearful of the renewal of the attrak twos the Lifoguardsmen, by the labourers la aid night, applied to Mr. Birnie, the Magistrate, yeste y morning at the oifi e, thr advice and assistance ; wuen the Magistraf strength to is that neWilxnultool. i pntycr, and his agony of mind, aceomrd- morning at the 0i1i,..e, for aivice anti assistance ; witen I isions of horror, continued day and night the M.tgistrate ordered a considerable increase of t iunk under the conflict. The verdict tuna-- strength to the different parties of the patrol stationed. ' • excessive grief. in. that Pcizhbourtocul t • . - N NI TIM NATIONAL TVEGIPtiaI. The . Madril Gazette of D ee . ii, publishes intelli gence from Mexico, and prefitees it with the following reflections:—" As the mad projects of the rebellious and infamous Mina h ave serve d as a p re text fur some foreign journalists (who have made it their business to foment all the insurrections of the globe) to represent, as more distressing than ever, the viatica' situation of New Spain, it is necessary to remove these false and perfidious impressions, by publishing certain filets which • leave no doubt about the situation of that rebel, which has never ceased to be desperate since his debarkation, or rather his precipitate flight, which alone was able to save him front the destruction with which he was menace,' by the mari!ime forces of the King, the latter being able only to seize his transport vessels." The intelligence alluded to is extracted from the Extraordinary Gazette of Mexico of the 12th of August last, and confirms what we already know of the siege of fbrt Comanja, into which Mina had thrown himself With between 7 and 800 men. Mariseal de Campo Linen communicates to the Viceroy, by despatches, dated the Ist of August, that he was blockading the thrtress, and that Mina was almost without provisions. By despatches, dated the sth of the sonic month, it is stated, that the fort was hemmed in on all sides; that Mina was still in it with three of the rebel chiefs ; that not a man of them would be able to escape, and that the artillery of the Royal troops was within pistol shot of the walls. It is to be regretted, that the details do not extend down to August 12, to explain a rumour in circulation here, that Miva has had the good fortune to escape, and that the troops whom he left behind in the garrison had been put to the. edge of the sword. COMMFRCY (DEPARTMENT OF THE NIEUSE . ,) DEC. 21.—The robbery committed in June last on the car riage of Lord Clanwilliam, who was acompanied at the time, by Captain Gordon, by six brigands, will be fresh in the recollection of oar readers. Divers circumstances led us at the sante time to believe that the robbres had fled to the point of contact of the deparments of the Meuse, the Meurthe, and the Vosges, and that they were the same persons who in 1815 had robbed Mr. Bouvier Dumolard. The vigilant eye of justice had some time past made useful discoveries. An individual named Blenod was arrested on a suspicion of being one of the gang. Thanks to the indefatigable zeal of M. le Proeureur of the Tribunal of Saint Michel, seconded by the activity of the gendarmerie, it appears now cer tain that the trace of the robbers is discovered. Several persons of the village are in prison, and there are against them strong presumptions, which it is not doubted, will be converted into proofs. The brigadier of the royal gendarmerie of Void seized, on the 14th instant, 21 articles at the house of the prisoners, which composed part of the property robbed on the 24th or the 25th of the preceeding June There is a pair of kerseytnere gaiters, with crystal buttons, on which the name Clanwilliam is written; several other articles are enumerated as fliund ; among the rest a gold watch, by Crosawaile qt Dublin, 4-c. Saturday was a holiday at the Stock Exchange; there was a considerable number of Brokers assembled on the Royal Exchange ; a few bargains were made. Consols for the account 81i. COUNT LAS C.tscs.—Two letters from Las Cases have been published one to Lord Sidmouth, written while in the hands of the Messenger at Dover, the other to Lord Holland, without date. In that to Lord Sid mouth he complains bitterly of being deprived of his letters, notes, his son's writing books, deeds of property, domestic secrets, official documents of Sir Hudson Low and Lord Charles Somerset, his journals, and even a letter to the French Minister of Police, and mother to Madame Las Cases. The letter to Lord Holland in closed the character which Las Cases had obtained from Buonaparte, and which has already appeared in the friendly epistle from a grateful master to a faithful ser vant. Speaking of this letter of recommendation, he says—" I would for the future, have rejoiced over it in silence, if it were not necessary to annihilate the lying reports of the Journals, which have spread a false opi nion on the Continent. Some pretend that I left Long wood because, weary of the brutality of him from whom I parted with grief, I could not live with him any long.T.: others without further particulars, say that I deserted him. The annexed letter, if' it is made pub lic, will show the truth ; it is a fbvour which I beg of' you, unless your Lordship should see objections which I have not remarked. My Lord, they make me very unhappy—they make me a martyr ; that is to say, ge nemus hearts are made to incline to me, and their par ticipation consoles me for all." An inquest was held at the Castle of Lincoln, on Tuesday last, by Mr. Bnnyan, coroner, on the body of John Itaithby, the Therldlethape murderer. This unhappy mortal fell a prey to the remorse he felt fur the bloody deeds he committed at Theddlethorpe, on the 7th October last, viz. the murders of Thomas Hall • and Mary Grant, which he confessed most unreservedly, and wirh every mark of sincere repentance. It was stated, that ever since his ernnmittal, he had been un ceasingly in pntycr, and his agony of mind, accompa nied with visions of horror, continued day and night till nature sunk under the conflict. The verdict wu--- Dicd flax excessive grief. N 334 TILE DRAMA. DRURY-LANE. 4I On Friday night, s after the holiday play of George Barnwell, according to ancient custom a Pantomime was produced. It is entitled Harlequin Vision ; or, the Feast of the Statue, and is founded on the insipid, story of I)on Juan. Like almost every Pantomime pro. duced at this house, it abounds in faults. In a few instances the scenery is gtxxl,but the machinery is either badly constructed or badly worked ; for the sake of the gentleman at the head of that department, we hope the latter was the cause of the frequent failure of ef. feet. The decorations were the best part of it, they were splendid and in good taste. ' 7 4 t u