The Statesman. — London, England, 1818-11-13 00:00:00

~`. . • WRESENTITION OF IVESTMINSTE . R. The following is Sir Franciq Bardett's Answer to the Address of the Electors of Westminster, request. in him to take the Cbsitet the Meeting to be held on Toesday nest : Kirby Park, Nov. 9. 1618. Craii.rwww.—On my arrival here, I found a numerously 'lgoe I liteqokition from the City of Westminster, requesting that I would take the Chair at a Meeting intended to be held for the parpo:e of considering what, under the distressing cir , ceinstances, in which a recent misfortune has placed as, is • most advi.able to be dune. I on time in expressing my readiness to accede to the Requisition, and in assuring the Electors of Westiniutster, that 1 consider it a pleasure. as well as a duty, to obey their call, . • • t whenever they judge me capable of reudering them any service. With respect to the cause, the sad cotose, which has created the necessity of a fresh itrit 4 gle for the Independence of W est maln•ter, it would not be proper fur to! to say s roore at present, than that I share, is ith every horiest heart, in the common grief; an event ►o unlooked for and overwhelming brings homeut once to our bosoms the poignant anguish of private aliction, and deep setae of public calumity. wlect , • • 1 remain, Gentlemen, Your most obedient and very humble servant,' (Signed) FRANC'S BUR DETT. ! NAV 1L INTELLIGENCE. Dr,tt, NOV. 12.—Came dawn from the River this ' morning and remain the Stranger, Forster. for Ja. make ; and Urania, Hutchinson, for St. Vincent's. —The 3d Regiment of Foot, or Buffs, embarked this morning on board the Sir George Osborne and Aurora transports; and the 'nth Regiment is now embarking on board the Brilliant and Lady Hamilton transports, for Ireland. Five o'Cr.ocK the Stranger and Urania are jest getting ender weigh. RAMSGATE, Nov. 12.—Came in the smack Catha-1 Tina Elisabeth, "rem Hainhurgh t• Rouen, with lossl of her leeboard and an anchor and cable.—Sailed neural transports for Calais. l'orcrsatooTrt, Nov. 12.—Came into harbour his Majesty's ship Esk, to be paid off.---Sailed the Rib . herts, Yeats, for Madeira and JAntaieu ; and Elbe, Paterson, for 13atavia. PLYmouvu, Nov. 11.—Arrived the Mary, Clough, from Shields for Nantes, and remaitss wind-bound ; and Juno, Sparks, from Alicant to London, out three weeks, with loss of rudder, put under quaran . tine. FALMOUTH, NOV. 10.—Arrired the Jane, Whit ford, f ro m Landon to St. Michael's, with loss of main-mast, and other damage; and Mnry, Pidgeon, from London for Bilboa.—Retrain in the Roads his Majesty's ships Lee, Heron, Shamrock, and Sea lark ; Montague packet, for America ; Blucher packet, for Jamaica ; and Sand wizh packet, for ~,the Brazils. Ltvcaeoot., Nov. 11.—The Maria, (lilt, for Sa.. vannati, parted both cables last night in the River, mud was driven out to tea ; she is now heating offthe ,mating light; N.ll the Maria, has beets %applied .withantechor and cable, and has come to outside. BEAUMARIA, Nov. 11.—The brig Glad Min, CNN,. • from Jamaica to Liverpool, was driven on shore • about three miles from this place last night, about eight o'clock, and is a complete wreck ; her cargo consists of cotton, coffee, sugar, ginger, &c part of which is expected to be saved. PENZANCE. Nov. 10.—Arrived the John FAllrettli, - •Phillips, from Carmarthen to London, with loss of main-boom; and Brothers, Forbes, from Lisbon to Loudon, in ten de)s. T A letter from Dover, dated the 11th instant, says —" T‘aent)-two sail of transports and hired vessels came into harbour last night front Calais, and this day five more sail have arrived; the whole have beep safely disembarked, consisting of upwards of 600 men and the same number of horses, of the 3d Dra goon Guards and 12th Royal Lancers. Strong South winds and foul weather have prevented any vessels whatever putting to sea to.day." The nautical instruments used in the voyage of Ceptain BUCHAN towards the North Pole, were yes leidny morning landed at Whiteliall•stairs, and coo • *eyed to the Admiralty-office. I. Sir GREGOR 11,1`GREGoR has sailed - from the Downs faith his Staff, which is Composed of Colonel O'HARA, 'Cupfuls' LATE, the Hon. Captain SEMPLE, Captain COLCLOCGII, and several other fine young men. ' •Yesterday se'nnight the remains of Lady Romtux H hi ved at the Hotel in Hereford, from Cowes, and .. • .nest morning procerded for interment in the fa .; y vault at Knill, near Presteign, in Radnorshire., The genuine benevolence of her Ladyship's character renders be; death a source of unfeigned grief to many distressed fit:Pities, who were the constant objects of her bounty. The remains of the ever-to-helamented Sir SAMUEL . ROMILL* were to be interred at the , same time with those of his Lady, at Knill ; and from the estimeblecharacters of both, the melancholy cir cumstances of their deaths, and the feelings which" must actuate those 'who so warmly regarded them e whilst living and attended their remains to the grave," a scene more solemn and effecting cannot be imagined., In the vicinity of Presteign Sir SAMUEL ROMILLY and his amiable Lady were justly respected and be loved by a large number of friends, whom they - oc. casionolly visited, when the serious and important dories of Sir SAMUEL'S profession would permit, and by all they were esteemed with the most affectionate friendship, and their society sought as a valuable addition to the hospitable circle of every family in the neighbourhood. MANCHESTER, NOT. 10.—The Russians have not only been good customers to us of late, in the pur chase of Cotton Twist, but have likewise sent over very considerable orders for manufactured goods of every description, many of which are now under Laud, exclusive of the large quantities that have been lent off. We want nothing but a revival of our home trade to restore our commerce to its former tone and rigour. Recruiting for the East India Company's service hes been *going on here to a considerable talent for some time pasi,, and all the other avenues to a 'stadesry life having been closed by the Govern ment orders for an extensive reduction of our forces, • great number of kite able-budied yarns men have Ibsen picked up. . F , ' , 1 1 1. .F"r. _ ~: _ 4 ; C. -y. Frs. - 177 1 11111 STATI 1 • - • NRIVGATe . Ma. Enrroa,—l read in yoo► Paper of last week, a statement which purported to be the presentment of the Grand Jury of the City of London, relatiee to the state of Newgate, and the condition of the prisoners therein. The authenticity of this docu ment I cannot doubt, but I confess no publica tion has ever surprised me more. The Grand Jury present, " 6 that having visited the jail of Newgate, they are much gratified by the order, cleanliness, and comfort apparent in every part." No doubt the Grand Jury did, in point of fact, walk over this pri son ; but the notions of comfort and order which they entertain most be peculiar to themselves, and were probably framed to justify all they saw. I, too, visited Newgate on Tuesday last, the gd instant, end found 40 persons in the condemned cells, under sentence of dearth ; two of them boys about 15 years of age. These 40 persons were shut op in 15 cells (being nearly three in each), which are in dimension eine feet long by seven wide; and the prisoners ate shut up in them at least 12 hoots in the 24. 1 would then ask any number of persons in the kingdom, excepting only the City of London Grand Jere, if this mode of imprisonment be not so much bodily torture; but even allowing that, as the lives . of these poor wretches are forfeited, it is fitting to fill op the interval between their sentence and the ese cutiots of them, by the infliction of a certain portion of bodily suffering, throe is yet a more important question to be considered—namely, what are ; Lisll, moral effects of thus mixing together all classes of prisoners? Some of these miserable beings are to be executed. Do the Grand Jury mean to approve of this system as a mode of religious' preparation for the day when the terrible sen jleece of the law is le be carried into effect ? Did any - of tie Gentlemen take the trouble even of eneuirilig what the victims themselves thought of the comfort and order which are stated to be so manifest here and elsewhere in the prison ? Did the Grand Jury ask the Ordinary, Dr. Colton, what were his opinions upon this sabject ? Do they not know, that lie spoke before the Prison and Police Committees, with the horror that became him as a Minister of the Gos pel of Christ, of the unseemly and irreligious effect of this part of the Newgate arrangements? In truth, the bodily pain endured is happiness to their mental anguish. To the vicious and profligate,—to those who seek to drive out of their minds all thought of the future, and all recollections of the past, this mode of imprisonment may inspire feelings of order and comfort: in this soot of society all religious conversation is banished as a matter of course : here the present world is alone thought of ; the chances of escape are discussed : future robberies are plane ned ; and, above all, the mind is amused by the de. tail of former achiesements, of haii-breadtb escapes, and those romances of .41 life which are the delight arid occupation of the it and desperate, •and which bigot the stings of conscience and check the feelings of remorse. I )rave no doubt, many of those who ate cooftried iii the conderned cells woo 4.1 very un will ingiy exchange these amusemeuts for ti e solitude and reflection which become their soilisppy coioli. lion ; but to the serious And repentant olituder, this mixed association of numbers is the most distiessing evil of this ill.organized Prison. It may be of no iinpoitatice in the eyes of some persons, whether the individuals who are hanged die 'repentant er not, blaspheming God, and cursing their fellow-creatures; or in the bumble but pious tope of forgiveness, and in charity with mankind.— ' When thew poor ignorant creatures are executed, they are, at least, oat of the way. But of the 40 who are condemned to death now in Newgate, per haps 35 will be spared. Is it then of oo consequence to take advantage of their unhappy state, and in this season of despair and doubt to make it also one of ,repentance and reformation ? In truth, I do not know where the words comfort and order can be applied, except on the female side, and ill the infirmary. Did the Graud Jury know that there is no room in Newgate for prisoners of a better situation in life than common offenders; and that in order to save Dr. Halloran from the society pf pickpockets and thieves, this individual (whose offence of forging a frank, defrsuditig the revenue of 10d., the law of Enghind, so just at all times in pro. portioning the punishment to the crime, has sentenced to seven years transportation) was, before trial, con fined in the condemned cells, among 30 or 40 vicious and idle boys, and is at present in the infirmary, living tied associating with the sick felons ? No part of this system is to be laid to the charge of the keeper, Mr. Brown ; he, on the contrary, does all he can to remedy the evils which arise from it. Many of these have brie, indeed, redressed of late; the prisoners no longer suffer from famine and want of bedding. All these miseries, for years unobserved land unrepresented by inspecting Craud Juries, have been, by those whe were nut the natural guardians of the friendless and imprisoned, .exposed, and are oust, I hope, for ever at an end. I observe, too, that while the Grand Jury take i no notice of the real condition of the prisoners, they are very careful to note the es pence which the City incurs for the maintenance of the convicts.a.- This is a grievance which ought to cease ; but it is as nothing to the state of the condemned cell.; to the idleness, noise, and intermiatore of eis classes and ages, with the esception of boys under 15; and, above ell, to the moral depravities of this school of vice. All these things the Grand Jury do not seem to have observed, or if they hare, may be taken to be altogether indifferent about. I have thus, Sir, ven tured to comment upon this strange document, be cause it is calculated to raise a belief that all the evils of Neergate have been amended ; and that, instead of those grievances, moral and physical, which are de tailed in the evidence taken last year before the Pri. son Committee (Mr. Ald. Wood in the Chair), order, cleanliness, and comfort are apparent in every part. Besides, I fear that this presentment is to be receiv ed as a demonstration that the City of London consi der that they have dune enough in the way of amend ment, and that the Public have no right to expect from them a better regulated and constructed prison. I, for one,' Sir, big leave to pretest against cotn ing•to thiS conclusion, and with the blessing of Cod will never cease my bumble but zealous efforts to effect that radical reformation or this establishment, which shall make it, what it Is not It present, a cre dit to the metropolis, and an example to the kingdom. I tor, Sir. sew OIDC lieni Ser•aot. Walton-upon-11131110, Nt.‘.lo. H. GREY "SENNETT, - f - - ; . KEZVRN True NORTH. WEST EXPEbi. DON TO THE POLE. Thr Isabella „anti thP Alexander, Discovery ships, are safely arrived in Brassa Sound, Lerwick, all well; neither ship having lost a Ilan, nor a man in the sick list. COOI4II Rot; has completely succeeded in expler ing every part of lisfhn's Bay, and, with the excep tion of errolsin the latitudes and longtitudes, of veri fying the statrweuts of that old and able navigator' whore name it hears; and of ascertaining that no pas sage exists between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceattl through Strait and Batfin Bay, the wisole„i being found to be surrounded by lii4h land extending to the north as fest. as Int. 77. 55. and 1011.78. W.; and in the 71 t h de g ree of latit u de, s tretchi n g westw ar d as far as 84. W. lotgtitude. They traced the same the whole way down to the Cape Wat.ingham of Dvris, which they ascertained to ;;P in lat. 66. and lona. 60.; from hence they steered for Resolution Island, and stood homeward. They have made many curious observations and disceveries, of which, perhaps, will not be consi dered as the least iuteresting, that of a station being found to inhabit the Arctic Regions; between the latitudes of 76. and 78.; who thought that the world to the South was all ice; that generation had succeptled generation of a people who had never tasted the fruits of the earth, had no idea of a Supreme 4 14eingr-vrtto never had an enemy., and whose Chiefs had hitherto supposed themselves Monarchs of the Universe. There now only remain to he discovered the ter mination, if it 1141 one, of Mid(lletitti's Repulse Bay, and, • few degrees to the Northward of it to determine whether (r•enland he an island or joins America, end this might with the greatest Pale be done from the northerumnat station of the Hudson's Bay Company in any one season. BENSETT's LKTIER zits STATE of NEWGATE. -....13:09"...- We de not remember to have ever read, even in the pages of the Courier, any thing more insulting to the understanding of the age than the remarks which that Paper ha, thought proper to mike upon :Mr. Bennett'. escelleot and human. Letter on the soh. ject of a Presentment of the (;rand Jury of the City of London, relative to the State of Newgate, giteti in our Paper of this day. The misrepresentation' to which the writer has had recourse, for the sake of indulging io a puerile attempt at pleasantry, it► every way so unsuitable to she occasion, bespeaks a state of feeling which we certainly do not essay.— We, kite inserted the Letter of Mr. Bennett in smother part of oar Paper, and we shall here shortly advert to the observations of the Courier :— - 7 - 7 ' " Mr. Bennett," says. the Courier, " has ad drataed a letter to the Editor of a Morning Paper, e.amtpleitting of the presentment lately made by the Greed Jury tJ the City of London, relative to the state of Newgate. The particular part of this do. cument to which Mr. Bennett otjects, is that wherein they state, • that hiving visited the jail of New tote, they are much gratified by the order, ftlearitiness, and comfort apparent in every part.'- -11 e doea not venture to deuy that order and cleanll - weed ; but he positively insists-that there is no appearance of ' comfort' in the condemned cells, whose dimensions he gives ; and adds, that there were nearly' three persons in each' ender sentence of .death, when he visited them on the 3d inst." Now, so far from Mr. Bennett not venturing to deny that order prevailed in this prison, and limiting the want of comfort to the condemned cells, as is implied by this language of the Courier, he expressly says," In truth I do not know where the words comfort end order can be applied, except on the female %Ole and in the infirmary." Order and arrangement are object's of paramount importance .in a prison, and the im. portlier.' of them we thought had been impressed on almost all who are capable of reading, with the ex ception of au Alderman or two, whose intellects are probably clouded by the opacity of their senses—by the praiseworthy labours of the Prison Committee, in which Mr. Bennett has rendered such important ser vices to his country, and the labours of Mr. Buxton, Mrs. Fry, and other philanthropical individuals. Of 'the want of order in this prison, Mr. Bennett gi yea an instance which speaks volumes—" Did the Grand Jury," he says, " know that there is no room in New. gate forprisoners, of a better situation in life than cont. noon offenders, and that in order to save Dr. Halloran from the society of pickpockets and thieves, this indi vidual (whose Wrence of forging a frank, defrauding the revenue of 10d. the Law of England, so jest at all times io proportioning the punishment to the crime, lies sentenced to seven years' transportation) was, before trial, confined in the condemned cells among 30 or 40 vicious and idle boys, and is at pre sent in the infirmary, tiring and essociating with the sick felons?" The Law presumes every man inno cent till convicted by a Jury of kis country ; but here a Clergyman, charged with an act, which the Lew, indeed, visits with a heavy punishment, but which will always appear venial in' the eyes of the world, is subjected before trial, to one of the most grievous punishments that can be inflicted on a man of his habits. Would it be believed that the object of first limitiug Mr. Bennett's objections to the want bf comfort, and that only in the condemned oells, was merely to introduce this common place joke, " We should almost think he aimed at the ridiculous, when he attempted to associate two such ideas as hanging and comfort? It reminds us of the anecdote of a Yorkshire carpenter, who was employed to con struct a new gallows. Wheat Use machine was finish ed, it was inspected by the Sheriffs, who expressed their fears'that it would be toe small. ` Too small,' exclaimed the maker, co, f warrant' you half a dozen persons cuold bang here as comfortable as possible. " What are we to think of the writer who cool& treat with this unbecoming levity a subject of no I importance than the preparing the minds of those es' fortunate beings who are aboet to close their worldly accouutyfor the scene on w bich they are about Neater? Diedlesterday l aged 85, at his seat, A.htead Park, in the coati'' , of Sauey (and of Castle. 'tiling, in the enmity of Norfolk), RICHARD liowAao, &ill. bro. Cher of the late, a ad uncle of the present Lord 13satoT• ~~ I ' " • • -- - DRURY-LANE THEATRE.. • A General Meeting of the Renters of this Theatre (heretofore the new Renters) wits held, yesterday, isl theSatrion of the Theatre. Mr. FALLOFEILO was called to the Chair, who stated the object of the Meeting to be the Ethetiott of two Trustees, and to receive the Report of Committee. The Report was then read. Sir T. Tonto:I, Bert. moved the ennfirmation of the Report, which was agreed to unastinsoully. The foll Owing Resolutions were passed riansoi. mously " Thanks to the Committee for their Report. " That Sir Thomas Turton, Bart. he a Trustee. in the place of Mr. Hosiston, deceased. " That Mt. Fallofeild be a Trustee, to the roost of Mr. Graham, resigned. . " That the Treasurer and Deputy Treasurer be ye. quested to attend this Meeting, to explain the state of the finances of the Theatre up to the present moment, as far as is consistent with their sett'se of dety. 64 That the followitm question be pot—Ntlethec the receipts of the Theatre, during the present season, base been equal to the expenditure." The TREASURER attended, cud stated, that he did eats conceive himself at liberty to answer the question. The following Resolutions were then voted unani mously . 7--- 44 That a subscription of one pound per share, be forthwith paid into the BaiLking•house of . Messrs. 'Ransom, Morland, and Co. to the *cermet of the three Trustees, for the purpose of protecting the rights of the new Renter.. " That the Trustees be requested to apply forth. with to the Sub. Committee, to ascertain a fact very important to theit (elite interest, via. ff the receipts of the present Season 1111,0 equllled the expenditure, and that they be requested, without loss.uf time, to adopt such measures as the pressing circumstances of the rise require. •• 'That the Report and Resol.eliens btrinted, and sent to every new Renter. ~oaftlesh i " Tnat it is the opinion of this Meetings' fttat any future payment ce lacCellet of the "Wittily dne to then slew iteeterS, he p4il into the hinds ut their Trus tees, and nut into the trati,ls of abl Treasurer of the Theatre. - the That the Thgnks of this Meeting be given to he Chairman." A liberal subscription weR then made. ST'. PANCRAS, AUDDLRSKI. k~._ ~~ T We are desired by the Directors of the Pool. de the Perish of St. Pancras • to contradta a statement which appeared ill our' Paper of Thrarsdeti, the Silt inst. (as copied from a Morning Paper as a Police Report at llatton.gartlen), relative to a man of the name of k4in p, who was represented to have attempted an art of suicide by reason of the culpable neglect of the Overseers of that Parish. The Directors finding that the circumstances there related are contrary to the fact', as appears by the subsequent elimination of the man upon an inveoigation instituted by them, have favoured us with the following• statement, as given by the man himself :—Teat he It 'plied to the Overseer, Mr. Cater, for assistance, thine, beiug a stranger, the Overseer very propedretiquired his residence and the particulars of Meijer., that he might first inform himself whether iteViete an object of parochial relief, end desired the magi to come to him again, and he would relieve him if correct; and he was accordingly relieved, end desired to attend before the Committee at the Work-111,04;e for their further direction ; he did do atten.l, end it appears that he had then some work in hand : they gave Mu some further temporary relief, and ht. went sway as. lisfied. Shortly after that, on the day he attempted the rash act, a melaticholy sort of fear came over him in a way he cannot account for, and drove him to a desperation equally unaccountable, whi'ds caused him to make the attempt upon his life. The matt adds, that his statement at the Police-Office, orwhich lie has heard, is altogether misconceived, and that he should be guilty of great ingratitude towards the Overseers and the Parish, were he not to contradict i', and with that view has voluntarily made the fol lowing affidavit : " altuoLsiisx TO FIT. " I, Jame, Kemp, of the Parish of St. Pancias. in the said calmly, carpenter, do declare, upon this my oath, that I never did make any applichtinn whatever far relief to Mr. Alston, one of the Overseers of the Poor of the afinetaid Parish; nor was I ever refused relief by Mr. Ca , er, she other Overseer, as ss nue.' my hand ibis 9th da l y of November, 1818. he mai k : 1 of JAML9 KEMP. " Witness. Wm. Talsemot,.olfieer, Public-Other, ilation-garden• " Swain before me, at the Pulice.Offire, Hatton.gardee, this 9th day of November, 1818. " Box, itaYrcerotio." The above statement cannot but prove satisfactory to the Public, and we regret that the cheracters of individuals should be called its question try the 1164 surance of the person who furni-tied the account to all the Papers, and who positively stated that it tree the perticular wish of the Sitting Magistrate that LL should be published in all the Journals of tbe•alta ' • tropolis. ---.....----....... The dramatic veteran " Gentleman Sarum," who is now its the 90th year of his age, is still living at his favourite residence, near Bury, in Suffolk, and enjoys tolerable health and good spirits, hut has not visited the Theatre for some time past. During Miss O'Nett.t.'s last professional trip to Bury, tie esa pressed a wish to he personally intros:aced to her, which he was . by Mr. BELLAW r, the Manager, and the interview wis highly pleasing to both parties. ' Another than is iii custody, on suspicion of !mint concerned in the robbery at Mr. Chapman's, Holy. field Hall. . .. The importation of 'potatoes an d ontorre, within the lest month, has been immense. They have been brought from Guernsey, Jersey, lie French, Flemish, and Ditch ports, and even from St. Peteraburgh. Coax Factiaecte4 Nov. 19.—Wheyt trade doll ~- line saw.. plea at 81 4 Moot Liv's price..—Oars 1.. dearcr.--iti Batley, Peos,• Beans, and tither ealtari no atimation. aro ITH.f , IELI) MARK vr, Noe. 13.. T., ;ink the Offal, per stone of Sins. Seer ... 9.. St to b.. Od. I Heal of Cattle' OAP Of r to . . onus . 4.1. et. to (it. Sj . R ents .. ... ...... • 6SO Veal ... 4s. 6t. IV 6. B.t. Skew,. nod Lambs ?ere . 4s. 64. r.. Ils. Od. Calves .... ........1 40 Lamb. .... Ot. oi. to 0 4 04. • Pie .....: ..... ...... - . !sill H kY-IIitAKET. Fey .. .. bl. ie. ud.• t.. el. es. 04. ' Cover ..... 6'. Os. OA. to 91. its. Od. Mtr..w ... M. its. titt. ht St. lea. US. W „ ~ * .‘ ••••• A 11,