The National Register. — London, England, 1821-02-11 00:00:00

Mr. Justice Bayley, inning judgment, said, " you have been couricted of a libel, and it is one, I may venture to say, of the most mischievous, wicked, and pernicious tendency that ever proceeded front the pen of man. Taking the circumstances of the case under con sideration, ►he character of the libel, and the evil ten dency it has, the Court, in the duty it has to discharge for the benefit of the public, du order and adjudge that you be imprisoned in the house of correction, Coldbadt fields, for twelve calendar months." The defendant asked whether it was to be in solitary confinement. Nlr. Justice Bayley said the Court made no order on that suhject. The usual rule would be observed. THE KING V EDMONDS Mr. Clarke stated to the Court that he should call for jutkutent upon the defeutlant to-mortow. Trak: defendant being ordered to attended from thy to day, was called by the officer, but did not appear. Air. Clarke then said, if the defendant did not ap pear to-morrow, he should move to cstreat his recog nisance. ALGOA BAY. -.....-- The following letter from Mr. James Watts, an industrious man, who availed himself of the oppor tunity offend by government to improve his fortune in Africa, affords the most encouraging and satis factory information as to the probable prosperity of the colony. Dear Sir. Graham's, Town, Oct. 31. 1820. _ _ Several months have elapsed since we saw each other; but though out of sight, not out of mind, for your friendship I hold in the highest estimation. The cause of so much delay has been from want of time to write, and to carry my letter to the post office, being near eight miles from Graham's Town, 23 miles from Bathurst ; and, added to this, I wanted to become better acquainted with the coun try before I could give any account whatever. The land in general is not so fertile as was expected by many, chiefly on account of its unlevel surface; but it is a prevailing opinion that it will be better after a year or two's cultivation: like all other fresh broken up ground, it wants working and mixing. We have a small river runs at the bottom of our land, which I believe is never dry, and is excellent water; but the bottom of it is a vast depth from the surface of the ground, and there being but little water in it in the summer, it gives no nourishment to the land in general, except thrown on by pumps or engines ; but in many places strong springs of water issue out of the mountains, which are an invaluable acquisition to water gardens, where they are to be found ; but we are not so fortunate at present as to discover any. The pourigees brought from England grow very badly here ; and those that are reared in the country thrive very well. None of the seeds brought from England, thrive as well as those that are natural to the colony. Cattle rose in price very much at our first coming to this place; the following is about the average price at present:—a bullock, broke in for work, 30 to 50 rix dollars; a cow in calf, or with her calf by her side, 16 to 20 rix dollars; sheep, wether, 3 rix dollars and a half; ewe with a lamb by her side, the same price ; goat, with a kid four and a half rix dollars; without, three and a half, if not with kid. The rix dollars are two shillings currency, the shillings are threepence each, a ativer one halfpenny. There is very little Inglisit money in circulation here except penny pieces ; there are four shilling, two shilling, and one shilling notes, which are the smallest Dutch money passing. I have not seen a •fiver yet. Meat is cheap at Graham's Town : you may have five pounds for fonr shillings, and beef as cheap ; every other article for domestic use is very dear, but we are likely to have things cheap, as Algoa Bay is made a tree port, and the Cow river is proved to be navigable, a vessel laden with stores having been brought up it within eight miles of Bathurst. We are not in possession of much timber, though sufficient for what we want to build with; we have plenty for firewood, and shall have for years to come at no expense, only the trou ble of fetching. The oxen in this colony in general arc large, strong, and active, but rather unruly, owing to the wild manner in which the Hottentots drive them, they being the principal waggoners of the colony, they are driven ten or twelve in a team, called by the Dutch a span. The cows are a fair size, comely and well shaped, but almost unmanageable ; it is not possible to milk a cow without her calf by her side, and then she gives but a small quantity at a time, scarcely exceeding two quarts, their dugs and hudders being particularly small. The mutton is well-flavoured, but small, a sheep seldom weighing SOlbs. ; the average weight is but :101bs. They have tails of' various sixes, from 4lbs. to 10 or 121bs. Government has been very kind to us; we have not received the second and third parts of our de posit money, but we have had provisions in lieu thereof. We are not troubled with wild and savage beasts, as it was predicted, though at first one of the party lost two goats, by what is commonly called here a tiger -cat; but soon that, ur &mac THE NATIONAL REGISTER other, got shot, and after that a small sort of pather shared the same fate by the same person. There have not been any visitors of that description since. We at first Asa heard jackalls howling round us, two or three at a time, in different direction*, in the night, and sometimes the wolf, but lately they have left us, and have neither been seennor heard. The monkeys are the only things that stop by es, and they are rather numerous • they have been counted, and prove to be 120 in a drove, within 300 yards of our cottages. We see nothing of the crocodile, which was represented to us in such frightful terms. There is a great variety of snakes, and the bite of some of them is said to be mortal. Very few fish except crabs. There is a great variety of birds, and some extremely handsome. There is a small sort of guinea fowl in tolerable quantities, We h ave no great quantity of game ' • the spring buck lying on each side of us, about 60 or 100 miles, going about in herds of 500 in each, as is conjectured. There is no beast to be feared but the elephant ; and they also lie on each side of us, but far remote from us. We have not as yet been the least troubled with the Caffres, though the Dutch preach up what dis turbances may be expected from them. / hope you and Nlrs, Portsmouth are both well, and also Wm. Shackle; please to tell him, if he means to come to Africa, to be sure and bring his wife with him. If I had known before I left what I do now, I would have brought mine ; fir a married life here cannot be attended with so much disadvantage and una- . ' voidable difficulty as it is in England. We have no rent to pay, nor taxes, 'nor firing ; and in a few years time we shall be able to subsist on our own produce, in a better state of health than I ever en-1 jeyed in England. I feel myself comfortable in a land bereft of ex cisemen. Beer I have not seen since we left Eng land, though there is some at Cape Town. I wish you all well in Cowley—ull my friends and acquaintances; and may we all increase daily in that better part which shall not he taken from us, is the earnest prayer of Your humble and affectionate friend and servant, James WATTS. Direct J. Watts, Graham's To;;;OutheriiDis trict of Albany, Southern, Africa. To be left at the post.vfliee till called for. RIOTS IN THE COLLIERIES. We are sorry to state that disturbances, which have been followed by fatal results, have broken out in the ' mining districts in the neighbourhood of Wellington, Shropshire, owing to a further reduction of wages by the imminasters. Ott Friday the 2tl inst. it was found necessary to call out the two troops of Yeomanry, under the I of Lieut.-Colonel Cludde, the numerous special constables who had been sworn in having found it quite unequal to their dety of preventing the rioters from stopping the various works. The cavalry, accompanied by all the magistrates there, found the rioters assembled in a tumult' ((((( s manner between Daw ley and Maims Lee, to the number of nearly 3,000, and after they had been urged in vain to disperse, the Riot Act was read to them, and they were again entreated to retool peaceably to their homes. UntOrtunately they refused so to do, and at the expiration of an hour the yeomanry moved forward to assist the constables, when they were enabled to secure several of the colliers, who appeared to act as ringleaders. The cavalry, headed by the magistrates, were proceeding to escort the prisoners to Wellington, when they were assailed in their passage between some cinder hills. In the confusion which ensued, sonic of the prisoners escaped, and to prevent the rescue of the remainder, it because necessary (in con sequence of the groutsd on which the rioters posted themselves being inaccessible) for the cavalry to make use of their fire-arms. Six of the prisoners were, at conveyed to Wellington, and have since been committed to the county gaol for trial at the next assizes. We regret to state, that one of the colliers was killed on the spot by the fire of the yeornaiwy, and that two were dangerously (one of which is since dead) and several others severely wounded. Two troops of the Shrewsbury yeomanry, under Cap tains Jenkins and Lloyd, anil the staff of tile Shropshire militia, under Capt. Mortimer, all of whom assembled at the shortest notice, joined Lieut.-Colonel Chidde on Saturday, anti his force was still further increa,,tl mt ' Sunday, by the arrival of a troop of the fish Dragoon Guards. On Monday the whole marched through the various works, with a view of protecting such of the colliers as had then resumed their labours; they did not, however, meet with the least opposition, and we trust that the turbulent part of the population have been de terred, by their formidable appearance, from the prose-- cution of their lawless attempts upon the property of their etnployers. Too much praise cannot be bestowed on the iVelling ton cavalry for the coolness and inotkration which they displayed in the execution of the arduous and unplea sant duty they were called to perform. Several of them were severely wounded, but we hope not dancer .Iy, by the stones and furnace cinders thrown at them before they fired upon or charged the rioters, which did not take place till alter the rescue of two of the prisoners. We regret to state, that one of the cavalry, Mr. David Spencer, of Trench-lane, near Wellington, was danger ously, though accidentally wounded, in consequence of his pistol going off in the bolster, which lodged the contents in his Lnecc. We cannot conclude without adding a deserving encomium Oil the troops of the Slirewsbuty yeomanry cavalry, who assembled at so short a notice, nor would it be proper to omit stating,. that the remaining troops of the same corps prepared themselves, and assembled with the greatest readiness to obey the call for their more active services if necessary. Inquests sat on the bodies of W. Bird, of the Coal Pit Bank, collier, aged 18 ; and T. Gittins, otherwise Ingle, collier—the two men who lost their lives in the riots. The Jury immediately returned a verdit, Justifiable Ho- Inicide.—lt may be proper to observe, that Bird's father attended the inquest, and stated, that his won joined •thds• rioters on Friday, and unfortunately lost his life by a pistol shot from the cavalry. We are happy to be able to add to the above account,. that every thing was quiet on Tuesday, and it is hoped the men have seen the necessity of complying with the reductions proposed to them by their employers. A desperate affray took place on Saturday last, in Stowe woods, between a gamekeeper of the Marquis of! Buckingham and a poacher, whom the former surprised in the act of snaring. The gamekeeper being a con stable, produced his authority to apprehend him, and a • pistol to intimidate him into compliance. The poacher resolutely defied the keeper., swearing he would not be taken alive. The latter not feeling justified in using the pistol, threw it away and closed with the other.-- Bath being men of strong muscular powers the struggle lin supremacy, was, for some time,. fearfully contested ;- when the poacher, throwing his adversary,_ seized him by the throat, and very nearly te 111 l inatedthe encounter by strangling him. The latter,fortunately rescued him self trout his perilous situation,. by.seizing the thumb of the other between his teeth, and obliged him to relin— quish lois hold. Almost breathless from the coil, they now sprung upon their feet for the purpose of defending. themselves with the first instrument of dest►uction that presented itself, here thegamekeeper had the advantage,. fur grasping his paddle, and striking the other over the head, he brought him once more to the ground. The latter now surrendered himself, but was obliged to be taken to Stowe-house, to have his wounds dressed,. which were to considerable, that apprehensions at first were entertained for his safety;. indeed it is difficult to sty which of them was most injured. The man has since been committed for re-examination. On Friday last a fine boy, three years old, whilst playing near some buildings in the neighbourhood of Cheltenham, fell upon a beep of quick lime, which lay like snow upon the ground ; and before the accident was discovered, the poor infitnt was literally burnt to death. The wretched and uncoil,. scious father was.the first to remove the body, and on clearing the features from the lime, discovering , to his astonishment and dismay that it was hi:sown. child, sunk insensible to the ground. Tuesday forenoon, as Mr. John Rop, who kept as public-house at Billingsgate, was goingalow. eg Lower Thames -street, a cart, which had. been delivering goods at a. warehouse, and in •which the driver sat. withoat reins to his horse, was driving along, Mr. Roy in attempting to cross the street, was struck by one of the shafts of the cart and thrown down,_ one of the wheels passed over his legs and broke them in three places, besides the horse trampling oft him. He was carried to St. Thomas's hospital, where ho died, leaving a wife and two children to. lament his loss. 041 Tuesday last- was rang, at the elegant new Church of St. Dunstan's in the East, Tower -street, by eight of the junior society of Cumberland youths,. a complete peal of bob major, containing 5,264- changes in three hours end thirty minutes, .being the greatest extent of changes ever rang on those bells. PEDESTRTANI9II.—A gentleman, of the none of Billinghurst, matched himself on. the last day. of January, for 100 guineas, to walk 17 miles in three hours, and he started on Friday morning on . the Bexley road. He walked his first three miles in • 28 minutes and 10 seconds, and he was one minute and a half under the hour doing the six-miles. He kept well on his speed, and was heeled six. to four to win after having done ten milexia one hour and 39 minutes. But he lust making good his ground after. One of his ancles begun to swell at the 13th mile, which so much increased, that he resigned the task after doing 14 miles in two hours and 28- minutes. A man was offered to be backed on the ground to run two miles in ten minutes. The race was made the ten guineas, and he won it by nine seconds. His name did not come out, but he is of Staffordshire, and was called Harry. He was only known to hir tracker. litt•rder's Reporl.—On Thursday. the Recorder: made a Report to his Majesty in Council of the prisoners under sentence of death in Newgate, when . Thomas Elliott, Joseph Wootten, William Bullock, and Michael Harley, fur highway robberLs ; and Abraham Henuningways fur sacrilege, were ordered Jim execution on Tuesday next. The City Solicitor has received instructions to defend Mr. Browne, the keeper of Newgate, on the question speedily to be tried, whether he has the right to refuse the City Grand Jury to view the gaol or not ? At present the question is doubtful, and the case will be so framed as to obtain the final decision of the Judges, and to set the matter at rest. The Grand Jury, who, a few sessions ago, claimed the right of visiting Newgate, will of course maim,. as it is a subject of considerable importance, not only to that body, but the public at large. 1 • ,41-