The Statesman. — London, England, 1812-01-15 00:00:00

THE STATESMAN. 7 nag a well known fact, continued Mr. Jars ,,,, that the Police Officers passed people in tha streeti, well known to answer the description of • •uders mentioned in the Act. 4 ' Whether this," eestid, " arose from want of power, want of stimulus, or want of iuclination on the part of the officer, it was not in his power to say ; but it was a subject w orthy of inquiry." Yes, it is a subject truly worthy of legislative inquiry, of more importance, we may add, than any public inquiry ever brought before the House ; for what are all our poli tical rights, or how are we to enjoy then, if o ur personal safety is hourly endangered? As •to the cause of these dangers, it is only to be found in the defective nature of our Police system, which recognizes the employment of persons, to discharge its important duties, who have no other quality to recommend them then that of being notorious thieves !! ! Upon this subject we reeommtid to the perusal of our Readers a Letter addressed to Mr. Secretary Rvuen, inserted in a preceding Paper, which, in a very clear and pointed manner, developes the nature of this un heard-of system. It is true, that the gloom and horror, which has so long possessed the public mind, has been somewhat alleviated, by the notice given in the House of Commons by our Home Secretary respect ing the Police ; but it is most ardently hoped, and anxiously expected, that Parliament will not stop at half measures, but will adopt such plans as will secure the peace and safety of the community,. We have never called for any thing like a mi litary system, though we have certainly thought, that, at a , time when the well-disposed part of the community trembled in their beds for their per sonal safety, it had been a wise expedient to have afforded them the temporally protection of military petioles, under the immediate direction and contronl of the dui/power ; and we believe it will not be de nied, that, if our suggestions in this respect had bre° duly attended to, some of the murders, and the whole of the outrages that have lately disgraced the Mermpolis, would have been prevented. This, how ever, we must repeat, we never recommended, bltt as a tewporary expedient, until a permanent system of frit ctire Preventive Police could be established; and me most devoutly hope, it will be immediately taken into consideration by both Houses of Parlia ment. We are sorry to hear that the promoters of the NATIONAL &KIST! /Oa THE EDUCATION Or THE POOR, mark their proceedings with a charocteristicnot much unlike the principles of proscription and persecu tion which, at one period of our history, disgraced the reign of a British Monarch. We have hoard that a few Sendays back, a Sermon was preached in one of the Es tablished Churches, west of the metropolis, by the Curate, for the benefit of the Charity Schiols be. longing to the parish, in which the Rev. Gentisrsaaa• made loyal and respectful mention of the ardent u fishes of his PtussrY, " that every poor child in the kingdom should be taught to read the Bible ;" at the same time, he spoke with respect of the zealous ex ertions of Mr. LANCASTER to promote this glorious •ork. The next morning theßector of the parish sent to the Curate (who had not been licensed), a note stating, that he stood in no farther need of his services, al though but very recently he had made a new agree ment with him for their continuance, at a reduced rate. The following Sunday, the Rector ascended the pulpit, delivered , an eulogium upon Dr. BELL, mid denounced Mr. LANCASTER as a man whose ef. torts were pregnant with danger to the Established Church!!! We reccifed Dublin Papers this morning to the lath instant. 'We extract the following from the ibitlin Correspondent of the 11th, respecting the Late intended plot discovered in Ireland No person expect from us any belief whatever that this Plot,' of which we have heard so much for some days, owes its existence to any thing connected in the remotest degree with the objects pursued 13:, the Roman Catholics of Ireland. We are sa ti•lftcl that the whole of that unworthy impute ';t;ll is contrived with the foolish presumption that may injure the Roman Catholics possibly, and t 'PeciallY in England, where misrepresentations t.t eel a metre may be expected to:produce more feadily injurious impressions. It would not be treating the great body of the Irish nation, ancient Peers of this realm, a gentry of large possessions 'nd proud aneestre, an opulent mercantile class, ( 411 tee vast mass of agriculturists of. which this part Pf the British world is compounded, to argue the and deduce their innocence, from the improba ey of their sacrificing their names and hopes, their ''' ,1 10.9 and the British world, probably to a system . ' calfspinicy, odious to think upon, and that, bad and tlangerous as it is represented, entrusted to the ages h' of a drunken•schooimaster. We cannot bring eurselres to let down the sense, and honour, and di gnitY, and moral worth • of a _nation, to debate against the despicable absurdity which aElscts to brand them its con spira tors.—No, no,—the authors of the Plot' will come to light in time,. and then 11 shall se e w h o i s to b lame. We do not think very . of the Ministers, for sense, talent, or tan .P.l; and it s t r ik es us that they have been silly and 11 clidiou s in their reception of the gentlemen who t,st Waited on them, 011 behalf of the Roman Ca 4)Glic body, to acquaint them with the circumstances under which ' the Plot' was discovered. But *e *° not t hink so disrespectfully . of ;be emit tens, Of of their advisers, though wa know they are not popular for their address, as to apprehend that they could, for a moment, give credence to the supposed origin and tendency of this Plot. Let the calumny be invented by whom it may, and no matter upon what expectations, we are satisfied that the Ministers will only investi gate the Circumstance, to detect the ♦illains who have dared to resort to so infernal a stratagem for ca luminating the Roman Catholics, and not with the thought of finding the slightest trait of evidence to support the imputation that was intended. We hope to see them sift to the bottom the whole of this shabby and odious mystery, and not leave it unex plained, a convenient mystery to encourage doubts and suspicions by-and-bye--and that they will exe cute this inquiry without for a moment giving credit to those nefarious rumours, which so plainly un mask the purpose of the contrivance; and we trust, that when they do discover, as they certainly must, the authors of this meditated iniquity, they will, against such miscreants, hurl the thunder of the Law in unmeasured terror. We shall be happy, for the honour of the country, to see them in this instance act a fair, manly, and an high-minded part—if they do, they shall have, for so much, our sincere re spect, approbation, ai:d praise." We are informed by a Gentleman who arrived in the last convoy from the Baltic, that there were eight French privateers at Copenhagen, and that two of them chased an American vessel for four hours, but could not come up with her ; in conse quence of which she got to anchor under the Crown Battery. The Captain landed, and had delivered his papers, when the two privateers came alongside, put on board a number of men, and took possession of her as their prize. The examination of the Royal Physicians touch ing the actual state of his MAJESTY'S health, was concluded yesterday afternoon, before the Lords' Committee : the Report is expected to be InAcle at an earlier opportunity. We understand that Dr. ROBERT WILLIS, in his examination before the Lords and Commons' , Com mittees, stated that his MAJES VT had within these two or three days suffered an exacerbation of his com plaint, which he should have considered as most dan gerous, if his MAJESTY had not several times re covered from paroxysms of the like nature. All the Physicians have concurred in stating that there are very faint, if any hopes remaining of his MAJESTY'S recovery. The account from Windsor yesterday was, that his MAJESTY was much better, and had recovered his tranquillity. The Gazette of last night contains Proclamations fora General Fast and llumiliation, in England on the sth, and in Scotland on the 6th, of next month. In the ilow.e of Commons, last night, the CHAN cri.r.on of the Excutrount, after an appropriate speech, submitted a string of Resolutions, the prin cipal object of which was to prohibit, from the first of next month, the distillation of spirits from grain ; 4014 were carried without opposition. Mr. Possoxtor afterwards, on the part of Lord MILTON (who was absent), gave notice of a motion for Monday se'nnight, on the State of Ireland, par ' ticularly with respect to the present condition of the Catholic population. A Petition to Parliament. praying the total Ema►a cipation of the Catholics of Ireland, is now signing by the Protestants of Dublin. The Correspondence between the Dukes of YORK and CAMBRIDGE, the production of which Lord Coe.mutts gave notice on Monday in the House of Commons he should move for on Thursday sennight, relate to the Duke of CAmentuces resignation of his District Commen►l. The Date of ilEnroan is expected in town from Woburn Abbey in the course of the ensuing week. Dispatches were yesterday received from Lord WELLINGTON, dated the 18th nit. at which time the head-quarters continual at Frenada, and no move ment of the least importance had taken place since the date of his Lordship's former dispatcher. Gene rkl HILL's division also remained in the same state as the last *dykes informed us. The gallant Captain !Tont, of the Royal Engi naen, ltas received the PRINCE REGENT'S permission to accept and wear the insignia of a Knight of the third Blass of tho Royal Sicilian Order of St. Ferdi nand and Merit. On Saturday a troop of the 4th Dragooris,recently returned from the seat of war in Portugal, marched into Brighton from Arundel, it is supposed on their route to the depot at Canterbury. The appearance of the officers and men bear ample testimony of the fatigues attendant on campaigning on the Continent. They are dismounted, their horses having been killed, or retained for further service, for the remainder of that corps, or for some other regiments attached to the British army. On Tuesday night a fire broke out in a building, situated on the Orange-walk, adjoining Marsh's bathing-machines, at Dover, which, in a very short time, consumed the whole, with an entire new boat, valued at one hundred guineas, a large quantity of fishing-ncts, &c. The building being of wood, covered with pitch, tar, and rosin, the flames as. tended to an immense height, the horizon being a sheet of crimson. A great sensation was caused in the town, when.the fire first broke out, by a report that it was the Ordnance yard which had caught fire, and which was not above a yard or two from the Magazine. The premises consumed belonged - to a fisherman, who hal thereby nearly lost his all. A. motion was made yesterday morning in the I Court of Chancery, on behalf of the Proprietors of Covent-garden Theatre, to dissolve the injunction ob tained to prevent their performance of a Farce enti tled X.Y. Z. written by GEORGE Covaa.x, Esq. The, injunction had been obtained by some of the Proprie tors of the /laymarket Theatre, on the ground that. Mr. COLMAN was bound by his articles of partneaship with the other Proprietors of the Ilaymarketplhea ' ire, he being one himself, not to write for any ether Theatre. The 'AMID CiIANCELLOIII Gig he would give judgmet tee, 4air, ~. ~.. KING'S THEATRE. Last night this magnificent Theatre was opened, for the first time this season, to the Beau Monde, with the Grand Serious Opera of Seniiramide, or Semiramis, in which Madame C ITALANI sustained the Heroine with her accustomed spirit and bril liancy. In the revival of this Opera, she stood, like Pempey's pillar in the desert, a magnificent object in herself, but surrounded by sticks and stones, of little or no value. At the end of the first Act, there was a new Divertisement, called La Marchand des Esclaves, in which Madame DIDELOT, late first Fe mstle Dancer at the Opera of Petersburgh, made her first professional courtesy to a British audience. This Lady is in size somewhat similar to Madame ROSE DIDELOT : see is a good dancer, but more fitted to excel in the serious, thka the comic de partment of her art. Many of her attitudes were elegant, and she reminded us frequently of Mrs. DFsnAirs, in her manner. She was rapturously wel comed by the audience, and .he justified the public ap proval. In this Dirertisement there was a charming pas de trois, by V rliit ib, ANOIOLINI, and pritty little SMITH, as an attendant sprite, when young Vcsittis preceded thesmiling A NOIO LIM, as the playful zephyr accompanies Aurora (like an avant courier) when she trips adown the eastern mountains, to give light and happiness to mankind. The evening's entertainments were terminated by a Grand Fairy Ballet, intitled Zdis, on In Furet aux Arent urea. As any attempt on our part to trace the bearing of this story, would not only be bazardos but presump tuous, we shalt pradentty abOtultr front the measure, and leave its meaning, like that of oar modern .Co medies, to be found out at leisure by those who can. Aithulor is in love with who acts in true sym pathy to his passion ; hut the whole amour would be brought about with ditf►culty,if Mr. l)tut.r,o►• had not adroitly introduced an intervening rnetliu% of gauze, through which the Lovers designs are stm as clearly by the spectators as those of a scurvy Politician.— After many hair-breadth escapes, the capering pair are eventually led to the Temple of Hymen by Madame NlELfst, who is a sort of Rosicrucian Go-between, without any apparent fee or reward, which shews her disinterested spirit, as well as her address in match-making. There were several mistakes which happened in the management of the machinery, such as pulling down a grove, and bringing an old house over their heads; but as this was the first night of the season, and the agents not very well accustomed to each other, the audience felt as they ought, and suffered " errors excepted" to pass as the watch word of the evening. At a late hour yesterday, no accounts whatever had reached the Admiralty of the fate of the St. George and the Defence, but it is still hoped, that on the return of the ships sent to look for them, some isteltigence, calculated to relieve the anxiety of the public, may be received. It is said, that the re port of the Desiree frigate basing obtained informa tion. on her return from the Dutch coast, relative to the St. George and Defence, is unfounded. She was sent with a Flag of Truce to the 'reset, to make inquiries respecting the loss of the Hero, and the capture of ►he Gracshopper, but the weather was so boisterous, that she could not communicate with the shore. - The American ship Ms lddena, Witr.t.tms, from Savannah, arrived at Greenock on Thursday, in 33 days, and has brought American papers to the sth tilt. In the Culonbian Museum and Savannah Ad vertiser, there a tedious corre.po-.dence between Mr. MONItOE and our Minister. Mr. FOSTER, re garding the rencontra between the President and Little Belt.--The New York Herald, of 16th Nov. brought by this vessel, contains a contradiction of a story which appeared in the American papers some lime ago, - against Captain of the Little Belt, and sworn to by a J. AMINO, who pretended he was an American, and on board at the time of the action. It instated that AtKINS is not an American, but a Canadian, and was born in Canada ; he seas never on board the Little Belt, not either of the two men who he says were pressed at the mime time that he was, until taken from the ship Traveller, of New York, long after the engagement with the President. The crews (a set of ruffians of all nations) of the two French privateers lately burnt at Savannah, were all committed to prison, and afterwards sent off in a vessel tit Charleston. On Thursday week a curious paper, by Dr. HERS.. CUELL i was read at the Royal Society. Dr. H. in observing the Comet in October last, noticed a highly luminous appearance near the centre of its head, which astronomers would call its nucleus. This lu minous disk, however, he found to deviate consi derably from the centre, and to be at one time brighter than attcther. This led him to be more par ticular in his observations with longer telescopes and higher magnifying powers ; these he varied from 7 to 10 and 20 feet, n ith magnifiers up to 600, when he distinctly discovered it to be a planetary body, which appeared so bright in the centre of the Comet, and that it was evidently surrounded by a Cometic atmosphere. On the 16th October, when the Comet was 114 millions of miles distant from the earth, by a series of observations and calculations, he ascer tained the diameter of this planet to be 428 miles, with an atmosphere subjected to the vicissitudes of the Comet. Yesterday afternoon ,a gentleman, of the name of Mitchell, who keeps an inn, near Bath, took a coach in Coventry-street, lista ordered the coachman to drive him to Hatchettls Hotel, White Horse cellar, Piccadilly. On the coachman opening 'the door of the carriage, he fuud his passenger a corpse. The body was taken up stairs, and medical assistance was sent for, but the spark of life was gone. The deceased came to town a few days ago to article one of his sons to au attorney, and was last night to have returned home by the Bath mail. His body, at nine o'clock, was removed in a shell to an undertaker's in the neighbourhood, for the Coroner's Inquest. The Oppositionists should turn their eyes to the NEW BUDGET, which embraces the WAYS and MEANS to end the WAR of ntstnva in an Hour, and raise us to peaceful opulence—it is only purchasing a Ticket or Share on or before Monday 20th, and the nest morning, at Dille o'clock ) it may be drawn a' prize of 2020001. ~'+~ ~„ :;~'~~i~ _. l A 4 . 44 Atitipt, NAVAL INTELLIGENCE. —.eft— PORTSMOUTH, JAN. 14, Arrived the Queen, 74, Lord Colvill, from off Brest ; and the Royal George Indiaman, from the River. Sailed the Inconstant frigate, Commodore Ovrcn ; and Dwarf, Lieut. Gordon, for the Downs. The Furieuse frigate, Capt. Mounsey, is orderel to sail with the Mediterranean convoy ; and the Zc nobia sloop, takes the Portugal convoy. The Grampus, 50, which takes the Spanish Com missioners to South America, is waiting for orders. PLYMOUTH, JAN. i 3. Arrived the Myrtle sloop of war, of IS guns, from the Westward; the American ship Navigat9r, Capt. Young, from the Baltic; the Eft4ll6 hrig Euphemia, James Carnsliain, Master,. from Ali cant, with wine and fruit, fur Loudon ; the Scep tre, Dove, from Newcastle; Gratitude, JcAins ; and Bedford, Nicolls; from Wales. The Queen, of 98 guns, came into Cawsand Bay yesterday, from the Westward, and sailed again this morning, for Portsmouth. Came down out of harbour, and anchored in the Sound, the Forlunee frigate; she is expected to sail in a few days, for the Irish station. The Loire frigate, which was appointed convoy to Portsmouth, is now ordered on a cruise to the Westward. SHEERNEES, JAig. IL Arrived, with the loss of her bowsprit and fore mast, his Majesty's brig Banterer; also the St. Fiorenzo, armed en flute, to be repaired at Chatham. Came down from Chatham his Majesty's ships Bellona and Nymphen frigate. DEAL, JAw. 14. Came down from the River the fVinclielsea, East Indiaman, and remains. Arrived his Majesty's ship Aquinas, from the west ward ; and Naiad, from a cruise. Sailed the Calliope, for Sheerness. FALMOUTH, JAN. 12. Sailed the Dispatch packet, for Cadiz, with a mail. YARMOUTH, JAL I t. No alterations since yesterday—remain as per last. No intelligence respecting the St. George mid D. fence. DOVER, JAN. 14. In the Roads, La Pique. frigate; Bearer, Sky. lark, Locust, Attack, and Insolent gun-brigs; wits the Decoy cutter. On the subject of Licenses, there are so many changes with our Board of 'Trade, and so many mis tatements by those who attend it to procure them, that it is extremely difficult to ascertain from day tc 6 day the facts. Until Monday, it was undorstood, that in return for silk and other articles from home, were to be shipped potash, drugs, dying woods, nal -hides. On Monday, however, it was inquired, whether hides were or were not included in the ea• ports, and the answer given by the Board was, that they were not comprehended, and that the report as to them was wholly unfou 'ded. It is certain, that in the full e' pectation that hides were exportable under such circumstances, they have risen in this market upwards of 15 per cent. I The interesting Mrs. C. lirstaLE, whose approach. ing retirement from the stage we noel, ed yesterday, once afforded, unconsciously, an occasion for much hearty laughter, a shot time previous to her maid• morrial coalition with the (physically)grealest of the • KEHBLES. They were enacting O. hello and 11.sde moue at Covent-garden, and so fond was the un wieldy Moor of his gentle mate, that iu embracing her, he would have a kiss, when the collision left one side of her face quite black, muds to the entertain ment of the audience. The following event occurred last week at Buck den, Hunts. A party, consisting of two Mr. Pret. tymans, Capt. Green, of the 21st ilegiment, Mr. Hodgson, his daughter, son, and Mrs. C. Hodgson, were walking on the ice in the canal in the I:ishop of Lincoln's grounds, it s'iddenly gave way, and all plunged in except Miss Hodgson, who was at a little distance. The depth of water was nearly eight feet. The young men with difficulty gat to land. At this time Miss Hodgson, who perceived her aged father struggling in the water, with the most undaunted cou rage rushed on and seized his coat; but the ice failed, and she sunk ; and her brother seeing the state of both father and sister, with the same amiable and filial me live, rushed on to rescue both, but he also shared their fate. Thus they must have remained, had not this Prettymans and Capt. Green, with great bravery, advanced. The two Ladies, by 'heir assistance, and by that of Mr. Hodgson and his son, were soon drawn .out. Miss Hodgson had then sunk three times nn.. der the ice, but her great courage and presence of mind saved her. Mr. Hodgson and his son soon af ter reached the land; but Mr. llodgson first, with the greatest, coolness, called to the young men to shew them how he had kept up the Ladies, and how he prevented them from sinking. They were all put Into warm beds, and cordials administered, and thus providentially terminated an accident which threat ened the most!atal results. Oa Muaday last a Court Martial was held on board the Prlsce of Wales, in Went.). Harbour, whereof Capt. Erskine Douglas, was President, when the Conn proceeded to try nauid Doren, watnan• belonging to the Seine frigate, for deserting frost that ship. The evidence adduced in support of the prosecute heard as well as what the prisoner had to offer in, hip the Ciout were of °pion's, that the charge of (1, sestina subs este, blialsed train* him; but, in conside.qton of eircuaseaaces, did adjudge him only to roc, is e 150 lashes. Cons LICSANGE, Jam. 1 5.-11 sis day we have not many fresh arrivith.of Wheat, but totn'able suP;bliet• en hard; vales • dull, measly at Monday's currency ; some se lest ;.ri•ue pld Dant , sic much esgeeds the quotation. liArley in good supply, and -- again lower. Malt and %Idle Peas contirose so keep i t prices. Moo Beans of each description. Os' are in inaiklft.g supply, and sales in Viis trade camas cttle fluctaaiiimb Flour . hardly aup?arss Ole renal ireti Wheat 69s 76s 105 s I Tick d 0.... .. • • 44 49 •" Pine Ili 118 I Pe. (Fife Old) • • 51 5 8 Rye BO Oats . 'l4l 92 Barley lB 50 Pohlad*. Malt 76 84 Potr_toe do; l9 40 White Pees (boilers) 78 841 ItNe seed Grey do. Deus . It.. ell ... . -„~.-. • • ~~ ii 1 „it i, 1 . 4 . , • J. l I \, 1 . . 1 I t 4 I I pill' ~ ... ~-, • a i 1 i ' r ! . k i i ' ' li, F ; .i ' ' t, , i ',' I ~ 1 .., v - 7 , • * .. .. sv . t i . tl I, f • • ? ~ , A \‘ .1 1P111 ) 1 . It i '' 1 ' ( I 4 . A If ,~,.~ ~, ~ h , .~