The National Register. — London, England, 1811-06-09 00:00:00

THE -NATION . to destroy.us, he had ordered the whole town to be illuminated. Soult, after the battle, told those of our officers who had been made pt4soners whas the Polish cavalry broke in upon a brigade of our infantry, that it had never happened to him to be present at so desperate t fight, and so sunguinary a con- Lieutenant H. C. Lofft, kille4 at Albuera, ryas son of Capel Lofft, Esq. of Troston, in Suffolk. When the Polish lancers make a charge, a red flag is suspended st the end of every lance, and that flag is so carried by the rider as to prevent the horse from seeing any other object. These red ,fags, in the late action, were not only effective in preventing tile horses from seeing any other object, but they had such an street upon the sight of our horses, that it rendered every effort Impracticable to induce them to meet the charge. The report that the 3d regiment (the Buffs) were entirely cut off on the 16th, with the exception of a Lieutenant and three subalterns, is not true to its full extent. It appears, however, from the Extraordinary Gazette, that its loss was dreadful, amounting to 643 killed, wounded, and missing, The Ist hint. 57th, also lost in killed and wounded, and missing, 428 ; Ist batt. 7th Fusileers, 362 ; 2d batt . of ditto, 349 ; Ist batt. 23d Welch Fusileers, 339 ; 2d batt. 31st foot, 536; Ist batt. 48th, 430 ; and 2d batt.of same regiment, 264 men. In the battle of the 16th SOULT was very nearly taken. A body of British cavalry charged a column commanded by boo tT, and putting it to the rout, he very narrowly escaped. Immediately afterwards, our troops were closed upon in the rear, and facing about, cut their way back. again, leaving half their men dead on the field. BOXING. The match for 100 guineas, and a subscription purse of 50, between Young Belcher and Silverthorne, took place Thursday on Crawley Heath, not far distant from Copthorue, where Crib and Molineux contended. Young Belcher is well known as the most scientist man on the boxing list ; and Silverthorne had beat Dogherty and Burn, and from his manner of fighting the former, his backer again matched him for this combat. He was considered a game resolute man, but his friends knew him a novice in science, but his weight and in-fighting, together with game, was much dwelt on. Betting was 3tol on Belcher. The seconds were Gully and Jones for Belcher, and Bill Gibbons and Caleb Baldwin for the Westminster Champion. After seven very desperate rounds, Silverthorne was beat by not appearing in time, for on his second attempting to help him Qff the bottle-holder's knee, he fell prostrate, and was carried to a post-chaise. Belcher threw a somerset on winning, and rode to London on the box of a gentleman's baroude ; but different was the situation of the loser, who was assisted tv bed. The battle lasted nineteen minutes. Roikard, oni. of the witnesses against Armitage, was assailed by the multjtude at Chapel House, near the grace of combat, by indignant eloithets, and stoned from thence towards Loudon, without belug admitted to the exhibition. VAUXHALL GARDENS. This fascinating place of atnusem,lnt opened for the season on Monday last. The natural beauties of the gardens have been more than ever improved by the exertions of art, and more than ever adorned by a display of genius. The fire-works were sin gularly splendid and ingenious, and too much cannot be said in praise of the whole arrangements. It affords us much u.tisfac tion to be able to state, that the liberality of the Proprietors has already been rewarded by public munificence, and the bril liant assemblage which graced its opening, seemed to promise an unusually successful season. . The following statement, amongst many others, was on Tuesday reported to the Committee at the City of London Ta vern, for the Relief of the suffering Portuguese : it is the sub stance of an official document transmitted from Lisbon, of the horrid devastations and cruelties committed by the enemy, in their retreat through the district of Arganii, which alone suf fered in coin, wine, oil, cattle, and other necessaries of life, to the amount of 140,595 mitreas, between 30 and 40,0001.; their churches were destroyed, their houses burnt, men, women, and children killed, without respect to age or sex. Nearly 100 young women were violated, and many carried off by these barbarians. In the document alluded to every particular is minutely de scribed ; and we feel the greatest satisfaction in assuring the public, that our brave troops no sooner broke the enemy from several places, but particularly from Fuentes de Honor, than they immediately contributed, not only in a pecuniary way, by appropriating part of their pay, bat even slivitted ,their provi sions with, the miserable inhabitants ivbo remained. LAW REPORTS. COURT OF KING'S BENCH. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3. THE KING V. COOK. In this case the defendant is one of the subordinate offieerS belonging to the Public Office, Hatton-Garden; the prosecutor is a taylor, and on the day stated in the indictment, hadiust arrived in town from the County of Northampton. It was late in the evening, and was set down by the coach in Clerkenwell.. on his way to Hammersmith, where he was then to have re.. . sided. He was greatly inebriated, and stopped at a public-house. near Hick's Hall, called the Magpye and Stump, where he staid some time, but at length fell asleep. The landlady was desirous of getting him out of the house, and he was put out, but in a short time returned. On the occasion of his return, Cook, the defendant, who was in the house, interfered and assaulted him in the most wanton, unprovoked, and outrageous way ; not content with that, he dragged him to the New Prison, where he was confined till the neat day, and then on paying Cook a seven-shilling piece, Cook consented that he should be liberated, and for form's sake, he was taken up before a Magistrate at Hatton Garden, and discharged. For thii assault and false imprisonment, this bill of indictment was preferred and found. The prosecutor proved his case as above stated, and in that he was fully and unequivocally sup ported by the testimony of two most respectable witnesses, who declared the conduct of Cook to be the most wanton, unneces sary, and ferocious they ever beheld. On the part of the defendant the landlady of the public house, and a great number of persons belonging to the Police Office and to the Gaol of the New Prison, were examined, but th-ir testimony did not answer what the defendant expected, for the Jury found him Guilty. THURSDAY, JUNE 6. CRIM. CON. VERELST V. STAPLF.S. This was an action brought to recover compensation its damages for the injury' which the plaintiff sustained by the cii minal intercourse that took place between the defendant and the wife of the plaintiff. The d:►mages were laid at €20,0001. Mr. ALLEY opened the pleadings, and the ATTonNtt.Gt- NEfAL stated the case. _ _ It appeared that the plaintiff is a Gentleman of fortune, whose family is well known in the respectable and honourable past of the society of this country. The defendant is a Geudemass who holds the rank of Major in the army. The plaintiff waa married in the ) loos to his present wife Miss Herbert, the daughter of a Gentleman of that name in the South of Ireland. Her beauty and her moral demeanour were proverbial, and until her unfortunate intercourse with the defendant, the tongue a slandr never imputed to her a fault. John Preston, the gardener, stated, that happening to anew" 7.1 dror; instead of the footman, he chanced to hive Ittn.in6s the drawing-room, where the &fend:int Major staples and hisk mistress were together. She was standing against a tahle under the pier glass, and the Major was standing with her. Hss had his left hand round her waist, and his right hand ---(hen the witness gave a description of the attitudes of the respecti•re parties in terms of such a glowing description, that we must for bear to follow him). He said a great confusion was manifest s and he quitted th- room. Sarah Humber was the ,next witness examined. She was Lady's maid to Mrs. Verelst, and lived in the family upwards of two years. She deposed in strong terms as to the stole* affection that Mr. Verelst always manifested fowards his , wife, and that the first knowledge she had of defendant was at Mar rowgate. In June last the family settled at Old Windsor,wbere - the criminal intercourse unfortunately took place. The witness then proceeded to sheW what came within her knowledge, and she proved two instances, one oh the 20th of October, and the other on the Sth of December last, when that intercourse occurred. On the first occasion the Major slipped into her mistress's bed-chamber for ten minutes, after all the family had gone to bed (for Mr. and Mrs. Verelst did not sleep together); and on the second, the Lady slipped into the Major's bed-chamber, and staid there from twelve at night till half.past six o'clock in the morning. This was cocroboratedby Dorothy Bates, who also was on the watch, and observed it, and by John Saye rs, the footman. An attempt was made to set up a plea of retaliation, by stating the inconstancy of Mr. Verelst towards his lady, but in this the Counsel for the defendant failed; and then he (Mr. Setjeant Zest) addressed the Jury in mitigation of damages. Lord 4LIANSUROIigai mad. snit', ICV/ continents on the