The National Register. — London, England, 1811-10-06 00:00:00

THE NAT s nd since also that they were decreed to vi pence, and, by esti mation, were so made, as they did contayn about two-pence farthing, or thereabouts, in sylver; they shall do their indeavour to receave and trye such conterfaicts, and shall gyve to the sub jects, eyther for every such counterfaict two-pence farthing, or •o much good fine monies as the same counterfaicts shall co:,tayn in sylver; whereby the people shall be relieved of such losse in some pane for counterfaicts, as, in no realm, any prince eyther bath or ought to do. And for this, and for all the commodities hereof likely to ensue, her majestie trusteth her most honoura ble good meaning shall be embrdsed of all her good loving sub bects, and every person with good will will yield to bear a s mall urden for a tyme, to avoid a perpetual and endless oppreszion, not only of themselves and their posterity, but also of the whole commonweal. - - Given under the Queen's Majesty's signet, at her honour of Hampton Court, the 29th of September, the second year of her Majesty's reign, MDLX. N. The stamps, or prints, of the base testons, which were printed at the end of the declaration, are now omitted ; because there has been no such coyn in use these many years, and there fore it would have been of no use to have printed them. FII?E AT GREENWICH HOSPITAL. The inhabitants of Greenwich and its neighbourhood were thrown into the greatest consternation and alarm by the sudden breaking out of a fire in the Infirmary belonging to the Hospital, on Tuesday morning. About half-past twelve o'clock, the dl urn beat to arms, and, with the mellow-sounding bugle, called the military to the scene of devastation. Great numbers of persons, astonished at these unusal sounds, w►bich had roused them from their peaceful slumbers, rushed frau their houses to discover the cause. Their horror may easily be Imagined, when, on casting their eyes towards Greenwich Hospital, they observed a column of flame ascending to aft immense height, and shedding on the surrounding country, a sort of mimic day. It was instantly con cluded that the Hospital itself was on fire—and, under that im pression, meus omnibus uno—all, with one common impulse, rushed fdrward to assist in saving this glorious monument of a nation's gratitu ire ; which, while it is ihe reward of a brave man who has suffered in the public cause, acts on the minds of our gallant sailors as a powerful stimulus to deeds of heroism, and may he contemplated as the seaman's sheet anchor of consola tion, in the midst of dangers, the most perilous. Fortunately, these apprehensions proved unfounded; but fresh feelings of horror arose, when it was discovered that the Infirmary, full of lame and sick atients, was in flames. On the first alarm, a party of the East London Militia, with a promptitude which does them honour, both as soldiers and as men, pressed forward to the assistance of the sufferers. A great body of the veterans from the Hospital dragging along with them their fire-engines, as swiftly as their age and their wounds would permit, stationed themselves in those parts where their services were most likely to be effectual. They exhibited a fine specimen of that cool de termined intrepidity which characterizes the British tar, and be fore which every maritime nation of the globe has been obliged to bow its head. Whi.e terror and confusion reigned among the inhabitants, whom an honourable zeal had collected together, those hardy sons of Neptune were partly occupied in removing their helpless comrades from their beds, and partly in placing their engines in the most advantageous positions; and that with a degree of calmness almost incredible. But the wonder will cease, when it is recollected that many of them served on board the Victory, with the immortal NEI. SON, at Trafalgar; and it is recorded, that the British Admiral lay to close alongside the French ship Redfiutitabte, in that action, that almost every flash from his guns set his opponent on fire—yet, at such a moment, the British seamen, with extraordinary presence of mind, em • ployed themselves alternately in extinguishing the flames, and in pouring in fresh broadsides !—When the Hospital engines first arrived, had there been a plentiful supply of water, it Is very probable the fire would have been arrested in its progress much sooner than it was ; but water was rather scarce—and, in addi tion to this unfortunate circumstance, the hose of the engines were not sefficiently long. About half•past one, however, fire engines began to arrive from London, and, in the course of two hours, not less than twenty-five had arrived. As many of them as could act beneficially were admitted into the area which sur rounds the infirmary, and in the course of three hours, the flames were, in a great measure, got under. It is here necessary to ob serve, that the Infirmary is an ent.ensive quadrangular building, built of brick, and having a yard in its centre. One or two en gines were stationed in this open space, in the rear of the fire, and were exceedingly serviceable. The north side of the quad rangle was principally occupied by officers; the matron had here also her apartments, and the nurses were lodged in a room at its left extremity ; at its right extremity the dispensary is situated ; the west side was occupied by patients under the czre of the SW. AL REGISTER geon ; the cook-room stood in its cefitre—and the surgery con• stituted its left extremity. These two sides, the north and'west,a are completely gutted, with the exception of the Dispensary and Surgery, which, however, are considerably damaged. The build ing, of which the walls alone . are standing, without the slightest vestige of the timber-work, has the appearance of an edifies which the all-subduing hand of time had ruined, and a person unacquainted with the fact, could scarcely believe that such dreadful devastation was effected in a very few hours.—When the flames were raging at their greatest height, it is impossible to describe the awful grandeur of the scene. One continued blase extended along two sides of the building, a space of at least SOO feet, and displayed a sight as novel as it was terrific. The south side of the edifice, which is inhabited by 1)r. Robertson and Sur geon Miller, has escaped uninjured. The east side, which is ap propriated to the patients under the care of the Physician, is also saved. Most fortunately the fire did not break out, nor extend to this part of the Infirmary. If it had, the consequences must have been dreadful, as many of the poor men are labouring ui:dee illnesses which utterly prevent them from making the smallest exertion—while .a great number of those who were under the care of the Surgeon, on the west side, were sufficiently strong and active to assist themselves—their complaints principally arising' from old wounds and casualties. When it was discovered that the Infirmary was in flames, all fear for the Hospital itself, of course subsided, as the building for the reception of the sick is totally distinct from it, and at a considerable distance. The fire, which, it appears, was quite accidental, began in the north-west corner of the upper corridore, in one of the rooms be longing to the Assistant-Surgeon. The apartment where it be gan had been for some time uninhabited ; and there being no stove in the fire-place, a fire sa as made on the hearth, to rendes the place dry and habitable. Through some interstices near the hearth, the fire penetrated, and before the least notice could be taken of it by the Assistant-Surgeon, the beams underneath the flour were burning most intensely. The alarm was then imme diately given. The cellars beneath the range of buildings which has been destroyed, are filled with coals and faggots, but they are covered with strong arch-work which baffled all the fury of the flames. We are extremely happy to announce, that although one half of the Infirmary has been completely destroyed, no lives were lost, nor did we hear of any serious accident having occurred during this dreadful conflagration. POLICE. BOW-S'I'REE r. A private examination took place on 'Wednesday last, at this Office, before Mr. READ, upon a warrant granted from the Secretary of State's Office, owing to an information being Litt against an engraver and copper-plate printer, employed by Messrs. Adlard and Jones, of Avemaria-lane. It appeared that a copper-plate printer had rolled up a spoilt ,foc simile letter, published in The Encyclopedia Londinensis, relative to the re bellion in Ireland, in 1798, and sent it with other things to a, Mr. Butters, who, upon reading it, conceiving It contained re voluntionary principles, sent it to the Secretary of State, who immediately granted 4 warrant to apprehend both the engraver and copper-plate printer; but upon its being explained, that it formed a part of the account of Ireland, now publishing in The Encycloprdia Londinensis, the Magistrate dismissed the charge. William Hickey was charged with uttering a nate, purporting to be a .501. Lank of England note, to Mrs. Mary Richards, of Ship-yard, Temple-bar. The He went toAodge with the prosecutrix a few days since. He asked her to art him change for a 501. note, which the agreed to do, and pt 'fi changed at a neighbours, hut she wily gave the prisoner 21. perceiving him to be intoxicated. She had known him for home time, he having lodged with her before On the following morni• g the note was returned to Mrs. Richards as being bad, when she gave it back to the prisoner s and asked how he came by it. The only account he gave of it was, that be took it between London and Bristol. He soon after made an excuse to go into the yard, after which two notes were found there by Mrs. Richards's servant girl, for twenty pence and Sve pence, in imitation of 201. and 51. Bank -notes, which the prisoner had torn and thrown away. Mr. Hartley, the perfumer, in the Strand, who gave Mrs. Richards change for the note, said he did it in a hurry, but. be lieved it at the same time to be a 501. Bank of England note. On examining it, however, oh the following day, he discovered, that after the word fifty, it was blotted very much, as he 'up posed over the word pounds, but on close inspection, he perct ived ato be pence instead of pounds. It was payable at she Bank in England, and was one of those fictiour notes which have lately been so much in circulation. The note was dirtied and blotted so much as to prevent a discovery, except upon a close examination. The prisoner was cot mitted for trial. OMP•s•