The National Register. — London, England, 1821-09-30 00:00:00

T 7 AMERICAN PAPERS. (From the National lateMgt-urn, Aug. 304 New ORLEANS, Almost 3 —We have conversed w th several gentlemen just returned from an excur sion along the coast of the province of Texas, as far as the bay of Matagorda. The Independents are in some corm at Galveston, under the command of Major Minger. Besides se veral parties scouring the country, there were about )25 men at Fort Bolivar, which is in a good state of defence, having some pieces of very heavy cane non mounted. The independents there were in cur respondence with the puople of St. Antonio, and other towns in the Provincias Internas. The latest accounts from the interior give assurances that the cause of independence would be supported by the whole of the population. A Mexican armed cruiser was lying at Galveston. She is a large schooner mounting nine guns; had lately been very successful against the Spaniards, aad was foil of colonial produce. Smuggling in those parts is carried on with a high hand. A negro trader, with about 200 slaves on board, lately landed her cargo at a small river this aide of Galveston. Dry goods and West India pro duce arc often introduced by means of the different bayons. The Carrancrau Indians were apparently in con siderable iiwee; near 200 fires were counted along the coast. Our informants having landed on an island in the Bay of Matagorda, discovered marks of the cruelty of these cannibals. A post driven into the ground appeared burnt all around, and on one side hung part of a man's arm naked to the wood. Not fiir off a wreck was seen, which being all of cedar, was probably Spanish. Whilst noticing the affairs of Texas, we cannot well avoid remarking, that if political motives some years ago induced the President to seize on Amelia Island, the same reasons, but in tenfold greater force, call for the occupation of Texas. A great number of our citizens are gone and going there.— The conntry has no regular system of laws. Bands of armed men speaking our language hover over the frontier. The sea coast is the most favourable that can well be imegined for smuggling. Numbers are found now-a-days above the dull pursuits of civil life, and nothing but the strong arm of power and the must energetic measures, in similar circumstances, cloture the observance of the taws of nations and those of the United States. If common report is not a most bare-faced liar, smuggling appears likely to grow to as great a head as in Spain itself. We have been told, and that repeatedly, by men who have visited those parts, that the country on the Red River, the Opelousas, and the Attakapas, arc full of African negroes and fine Indian and European goods, smug gled in. The Government of the United States should know Cie truth, and check the evil ere it at tains greater enormity. Were we permitted to advise, we should recommend the occupation of Texas: the establishment of three or four compa nies of mounted riflemen on that frontier, and the presence of four or five light cruisers, under diligent officers, in the Gulf of Mexico. What a picture does the account from the coast of Texas give us of the condition of that country ! Bands of outlaws in arms, tribes of cannibal Indiana, gangs of daring smugglers, with hordes of miserable African slaves ! There is no question but such evils demand the interposition, in some shape of our go vernment, to defend the American territory from the contaminating influence of such a congregation of fatuity, fanaticism, and crime. For this purpose we are entirely of opinion that a part of the recom mendation of the Louirriat GmAle ought to be lid lowed, and that our police vessels by sea, and a de trchment of troops by land, ought to be employed fur the punishment of those who laugh to scorn national law and private morals, and for the preven tion of similar offences for the future. We have no doubt that the attention of government will be at once directed to this object. NVith respect to our occupying the Spanish ter ritory adjoining our limits, without the consent of Spain, as recommended by the New Orleans paper, that is another question, dividing itself' into two—the first of right, the second of necessity. It is hardly adaiacable, having just settled our old dis putes with Spain, to begin already to prepare ma terials for new ones—not to speak of the consider ations of public law involved in this matter. If we are to take possession of every territory adjoining us whenever it becomes is harbour for smugglers and fugitives from justice, there would be no end of our occupation of territory, till we got the whole Con tinent to ourselves, the north pole at one extremity, and the Atlantic cud Pacific oceans washing the shores all round besides On this principle, we sinned ham; ago have " occupied" the Carinthia on the north, and the West India islands on the south. No, no, this will not do. Seize what we might we should yet leave something uograsped, It is imam veaieut to hare territory contiguous to us belongirg - . A THE NATIONAL REGISTER to others; but to extend our limits in the hope of avoiding it, would only be to exchange one line for another ; we should have contiguous territory still. We are therefore perfectly satisfied with the limits we have, and hope never to see them transgressed, unless, by an amicable understanding with our neighbour, to chastise those whom she cannot con troul, or in actual pursuit of the violators of the laws of nations. It only requires means at the dis posul of the government to be employed. to remedy all the evils which this country is likely to suffer from that quarter. SETTLERS AT ALGOA BAY. Extract of a letter to a lady in the vicinity of Chelmsford, dated " New Essex, Graham's Town, on the frontiers of Africa, June 24th, 1821 :—I am seven hundred miles from the Cape of Good Hope, and should not receive intelligence of an arrival there for at least three weeks: but my correspondent at ' Cape Town will receive comfortable lodgings, &c. uutil a ship sails for Algoa Bay, which is distant from me 130 miles. Few ships from England pro ceed further than the Cape. Good ploughmen are wanted, and good foot-ploughs, with spare wrought iron shares and coulters, which are very expensive here; ironwork nothing under ls. per lb. Ran some's ploughs sell for 141. each. Ploughmen will find plenty of employers at from 21. to 31. per month, and their board. Meat sells at 2d. per lb. ; wheat 12's. a bushel; and barley Gs. Other articles of b«.usekeeping arc about the same price as in En ;4land ; but, on the other hand, we arc in one of the healthiest climates in the world, and free from rent, tithes, and taxes of every description. Any one may live here as well with 5001. as in his native land with 5,0001. The farming work is all donl with oxen, which arc very fine, and bought at 31. each ; cows are 30s. ; and sheep GA. a-head, (hav ing tails that weigh 81b.—a complete lump of fat): clothes, linen, and all English goods, very dear Good mechanics, of any description, have very high wages. A cargo of ladies would make a good spe culation in proceeding to the new settlement : for all that come out with the settlers have gotten hus bands." BANK OF B.VGLAND. A great reduction is about to take place almost ' inunediately in the establishment of the Bank of England. The number of clerks to be discharged is stated at 125, of which 40 arc from the Hall side or Cashier's office, and the remainder from the va rious accountant offices for the different classifica tions of stock, with the one and two pund Bank note office. In the latter, which employed between 900 and 300 clerks, the return to payments in spe cie must have led to the expectation of a very ma- ' terial reduction : but the number discharged under the present arrangement is only twenty-four. It . 1 was not at all known before Tuesday last, we be lieve, that the change was contemplated by the Governors of the Bank, and the measure, therefore, being one that involves the welfiire or subsistence of so many families, appears a little abrupt. But in the mode of carrying it into effect, the Bank have acted with a degree of liberality which merits praise. All the clerks now dismissed will receive an annuity for life, iu proportion to the amount of pay and length of service, a selection been made, as tar as the interests of the concern rendered it pru dent to do so from those who are the soonest likely from long services to claim the right of superannu ation. But every clerk discharged will, we under stand, be allowed the option, if he prefers it, of receiving a sum of money equivalent to the value of his annuity. Thus to those uho are still young and have a talent for business, au opportunity will be affindcd, by a supply of capital, of engaging in trade, and of working out their oun independence. The number of clerks employed at the Bank is above I,ooo—the number discharged, therefore, is about one-eighth part of the whole. By the measure a saving will accrue to the Bank when the respective annuities fall in, of about 20,0001. per annum.— We understand that the cause assigned by the Di rectors for this step, in the notice to those clerks whose services are to cease, is a general falling off in the business of the establishment. When King William was pressed by his Ministers to discharge Sir G. Rook, on account of his conti nued opposition to their measures both in and out of Parliament, his Majesty wisely asked if they had any thing to object against him as an Admiral?— but being dumb on that head, he told them he would never disch.irg,e a brave and meritorious offi cer for his conauct as a Member of Parliament, which was quite a dillurent duty, and ought to be executed according to every man's conscience, with out the imputation of being disaffected.—lt would have been honourable to those, in whose hands the right of dismissing an officer is vested at ve.ivnt, had the same course been pursued in the Case of Sir Ruben +0 FROM TUESDAY NIGHT'S GAZETTE. BANKRUPTS. .T. Knowles and H. Walker, Salford, Lancashire, machine makers. Solicitors, Messrs. \Verson and Co. IVarntiml Court. J. Lavender, Leominster, mercer. Sole. Messrs. Cardale and Co. Gray's Inn. J. Beeston, Drayton in Hales, Shropshire, mercer. Sole. Messrs. Beaton and Co. Gray's Inn Place. T. Gibson, junior, Liverpool, ship bread baker. Sol. Mr. Chester, Staple Inn. A. Gird, Park Lane, saddler. Sols. Messrs. Bourdillon and Co. Bread Street, Cheapside. 11,110,11.1.1. Oct. 20, J. Mitchell, se Hefts, dealer-23, T. Kay. Prince's Square, natal!' Highway, coal merchant-23, It. It; Rodham, North Shields, victualler-24,E. Phillip. Narhenll. Pembrokeshire, linen draper-24, W. and H. Webb, Bristol, linen drapers—qt., T. P. Jones, Carmarthen, linen draper. CERTIFICATES to be granted Oct. 16. J. B. Snowdon, Lynn, linen draper—J. Jagger, East Stone. house, Devonshire, stone mason-11. Tredwen, Chopstow, Mon mmthshire, ship builder—T. Kay, Prince's Square, !tutelar Highway, coal merchant—J. Bass, Holbeach, Lincolnshire. hrcwcr—C. Cope, Berkeley Mews, Portman Square, job master —II. W. Smith, Bird's Buildings, Islington, tea dealer—l. 'toile, Beech Street, Barbican, button seller. SWEARING-IN OF TIIE NEW SHERIFFS. Friday being the day appointed k.r this ceremony, a large crowd collected m the Hall fur the purpose of wit nessing it. At a little before one o'clock the Lord Mayor • arrived in state, and held a Court of Aldermen. At one the Sheriffs elect, Alderman Garratt and Venables, arrived in new and splendid carriages. The carriage of Ald. Gamut was the most elegant, without being gaudy, of any thing of the kind we have ever seem The colours are green and gold, with the arms of the Goldsmiths' Connuany, to which' he belongs, and the arms of his faintly emblazon, on the p :noels and on the hammer.cloth. The horses were decked out in green and orange ribbons. The servsnts wore splendid liveries of green and gold to correspond. The carriage of Venables, was of a sky ulue colour, with hammer-cloth, &c. of silver, and the footmen in blue licetics, with silver lace. The Sheriffs elect, accompanied by the Lord Mayor, Sheriffs Waithman and Williams, and the Court of Al dermen, entered the Hall and ascended the platform.— The several Aldermen were received with various marks of favour, or otherwise from the populace assembled.— The new SherillS were splendidly dressed in morine coats, surmounted in their state robes of wallet, and looked extremely well. They were sworn with all ap propriate solemnity by 11. Woodthorpe, 'I he last ceremony was to invest them with the gold insignia of office, when sonic surprise was occasioned at a novel variation from the old costume of wearing gold chains with the plain link, instead of which the new Sheriffs were invested with gold ornaments, corsisting each of three coils of Lodd rope, att wiled to a superb gold ornament affixed to the breast of the waistcoat.— The new costume was touch admired, and generally considered much more appropriate than the old. It was slated to us as a singularity, that the Sheriff's officer who invested the new Sheriffs was one of those whose duty it is on ceremonies of a more serious nature to invest • persons with similar OM aIIICIIII, hut of very inferior Ind* ieri.als. The story, however, excited mucu humour.— • After the usual salutations had been made, the Lord Mayor and the Court of Aldermen retired. The new SherillS proceeded to the Court of Common Pleas, to receive the custody of the prisoners in Newgate and Whitecross-street. Mr. Brown, the keeper of Newgate, in giving in the list of the prisoners in his custody, observed that lie had examined the prison accounts, and that there never had been so small a number of plismiers transferred to the Sheriffs on such au occasion since the prison had been built. He told; the opprurtunity of cougatulating the Sheriff; on the circumstance. Mr. Brown and Mr. Thackrey then delivered up their keys to the ex-Sheriffs, who transferred them to the new Sheriffs. Mr. Sheriff Venables, on receiving the keys of New eate, addressed Mr. Brown, and sahl—" Sir, although you have an appointment as the keeper of Newgate, yet, as his Majesty's officers, the custody of that prison is entirely in us, and we appoint you the governor for the tune fusing." Mr. Brown received the key and bowed. Some other formal business having been disposed of, the Sheriffs raised to dinner. Rum JELLY.—Among the novelties of the Pari sian circles, rum jelly has become an universal favourite. It is made in the fbllowing manner:— To a quart bottle of common white wine take a pound of sugar, which is to be reduced to a sirup, and clarified. Then take an ounce of isinglass, which put on the fire till it is thoroughly melted, pass it through a cloth, and mix it with the sirup half warm. When this mixture is nearly cold, pour it into the white wine, and stir it well, so as to mix it completely. Then add a spoonful, or a spoonful and a halt (according to the strength which you desire to give the jelly) of old Jamaica rum. Stir again this mixture, and pour it into the mould that may ►ake the shape in cooling which you design to give it, if intended as a plat for the table ; or into glasses, if designed to be handed round at an even ing party. Letters from Havannah of the 6th of August state, that the Independents in Mexico had sustained several defeats, and that the communication between Vera Cruz and the capital, had, in consequence, been again established. O'llonoju, the new Viceroy of Mexico, was daily expected at V era Crux, and great dependence was placed on his personal energy for restoring confidence to the royal cause.