The Statesman. — London, England, 1812-01-06 00:00:00

OUTLICES gIIISBURGIL ""1 wre regret to state, that on Tuesday night, being the last of the year, and, on that account, devoted by immemorial =age, and the custom of the place,, to innocent festivity, the streets - of this city were dis graced by a series of o ts, o u trages, and robberies, I.:!herto, we may trul y say, without any example.— Puring almost th v opliele of the night, after eleven o'clock, a gan of ferocious banditti, aimed with bludgeons an Other weapons, infested sor of the lt,ading str , and and knocked down and robbed, otherw most wantonly abused,.almost every ~e rs on wh had the misfortune to fall in their o ay. Aft s /r they bad fairly succeeded in knocking down tissfie of whom they were in pursuit, they pro. Itad immediately- to rifle them of their money end watches; and the least symptom, on their part, '.t anxiety to save their property, was a provocation to o utrages,, which were persevered in, until their ': , :s were endangered.. One person we have heard el, ..bo, after being kr.ucked down, made several at tempts to preserve his watch,vv hen he was so ab used and kicked on the head, and -in the breast and stomach, that he was glad to escape with his life. Another go ntloansis, in the saw unhappy preslicament, sUQ cecttql in preserving his watch, though it was pulled . i so violently that the chain was brake, which, toge ther with the seals, he lest. We have heard of many other instances of outrage, but it is unne- - cessary to enter farther into particulars. These outrages, we understand, were chiefly committed by a band of idle apprentice boys, regularly orga, sized for the purpose, and lurking in stairs and closes, from whence they issued, on a signal given, in large bands, and surrounded and overwhelmed those who were passing by. By the vigilance of the Magistrates, who were on the streets, or otherwise actively engaged in the duties of their office, until about five o'clock on Wednesday morning, several of these rioters were apprehended on the spot, some of them with the stolen articles in their possession, and the most vigilant it quiries are going on, with a view to root out this nefarious combination against the peace of society, by bringing to exemplary jus tice the perpetrators of these outrages. A reward of 100 guineas has been offered for the discovery of the offenders. Among other depredations, we hear, that about 70 of the public lamps were broken. — ( Edinburgh Paper.) MOST Aritocroes'MUßDEßS iv IRE LAND. , The indignation of all England as been excited, and truly so, by the press, with the horrible murder of the Marrs and the WiMansions; but thew murders are not exceeded by one committed a few months ago in the county of Dublin, and within twelve miles of the district of the metropolis. The facts of the case areas folipw A. servant of a gent I-man in Glos ter-street of high chalkier, had a child at nurse with an iodine Ifloll poor (amity, paths Common, near Willymore-Eustare ; and the poor woman larslng row tolTublin for her wages, ther? hying one year and a half due, 101. was paid. After being at home about ten days, their cabin was attacked in the !light I the pour woman being forgone with child, the husband defend. ed the cabin to the last against t e gang of inurdererc. lie re sisted them ontside PO violently that they retreated to 'a spot of ground, thither he followed them and continued resistance while he was able to stand on his feet ; be at length sunk on his knee, and iu this posture he defended himself with such deteriniteti re solntion that it had buried itself six inchts in the earth ; when at length from weakness and loin of blood he sunk 'older the un merciful bands of the murderers 4 not content with this they cut his throat and dragged hint back to thevabin. %Vitae some of the party were engaged in murdering the Imsliaud, the remoireler were envied in murdering his wilr.—They cut her ?'t net, and also thethroat of a poor beggarwoman who took retitle for the night. Their next object was to rob the cabin, and one of the gar in rummaging, stumbled over a child of seven rears old, on which be hid his face, inquiries( familiarly, Betty, do you know me 1 She, dreading the fate or the rest, replied, no; no which he asked, Where does your mammy hide her mo gey I—The child could not satisfy the robber, hot they took care to empty the house of all that was valuable. Hem was a mur der, as atrocious as that which aroused all England, and n.) nutier taken of it. Here was a murder within 2t) miles of the capital of Ireland, and no exertion made to discover the perpetrators of this diabolical business-- no reward offered by the Privy Council, drelialice, or the County I!! Norrixon.tw, Jaw, 3.—The alarm excited in Derbyshire, .by the numerous burglaries and ' other outrages connuitted there within. the last fourteen or twenty days, has not subsided, and the utmost acti vity prevails among those whose property is consider ed in any danger, as well as among the Civil and Military Authorities iti general. Whether the de predators consist of that body of men, which has laidy been concerted in frame-breaking, or of other .I.speradoes, who have taken advantage of the confu sion into which this part of the country has been hurled, by the practices of the former, remains at present unascertained • in either case, however, our surprise is less excited at the depredations, than 4sr indignation at the depredators ; for crime ad vances by as regular a progress, as does the noxious weed in the garden, Vitt is not timely eradicated. — in addition to_ the burglaries committed in Derby shire, as named in our last, we have to record one of ; A serious nature, which was 'perpetrated in the house of Mr. Topham, in South Wingfield Park, on the 25th 4 December, at night. The robbers entered in disguise, aNI demanded to examine Mr. Topham's frames ; and .4 hem they had gained adnaittance, under that pretence, t 'iry I ikew ise demanded his cash,whkh they took away t , i the amountntabont etl. as also the parish books, he being overseer of. 10 poor. In our own neigh bourhood, it is a ith much pleasure we have to state, that the outrages we:lly diminish in number, though not in magnitude. On Friday evening a valuable plain silk frame was broken in a house ,near the Meadow Platte, in this town, belonging to all emi nent hosier, which stood between two others of a like description, the property of another gentleman, and they remained untouched. The windows of Mr. Trentham, an eminent manufacturer, in this town, bare been twice assailed within these few days by brickbats and stones; and the depredators have not l't been discovered, though a handsome reward been offered. An article from Vienna, of the 18th of December, states, that the Imperial Printing-of fi ce had been shut for several days ; that the men worked day and sight, and were guarded brsoldiers. "rhe 'isrore d e:qijectu re d t o b e engage d u p on a p i a * • . - the finances. . • . -_ ~ '~f • TUE. STATESMAN. 'COVENT-G.4RDtS ELEPILINT. TO THU EDITOR OM /HE STATESMAN. Sia,—The attention you have coat shown . to the Public Cause, and particularly to their ?Metric rights, induces me to submit for insertion in your respectable Paper the following remarks. The keen satire of the ready-witted writers of paragrahs have, with indefatigable zeal, been levelled for tome time at the Stage Manager of Covent-Garden Theatre ; either wilfully or maliciously misstating that Gentle man's dramatic taste, they have choseti to single him out as the author of the present disgusting exhibi tion. In justice to that Gentleman it should be told (and I am persuaded I am in this respect correct), he would as soon sanction the introduction of a com pany of Hottentots on the English Stage, as to give his assent to the exhibition of these four-footed per formers. It is a fact too notorious to be denied, that the Elephant was, till last Saturday, the properly of Mr. PARKER, and was by him then sold to Mr. Po ut() of Exeter 'Change, for nearly a thousand pounds ; it is equally true, this beast is engaged at the enormous sum of 601. a-week, besides an addi tion of seven more to his three keepers ; thus swal lowing up more than would pay three of the beat tietfortners their week's ettlarpt , -or,ifeightly applied, would increase native talent, and produce to the pub- Pm the novelty of half-a-dozen new pieces. Hoot long this sort of exhibition is to be tolerated, I know not—but of this I am sure, that while it exists we may bid adieu to any thing like novelty in the line of dramatic composition. I cannot conclude these ob-- serrations without remarking, that while one fasci nating female has it in her power to Han-hiss (or harass, if you please) the whole concern, we may expect nothing less than the frequent introduction of horses, elephants, asses, and camels. THEATRICUS. 7WEA7RICIfL. NSPARIOVS PRACTICES AT THE AD "MALTY. N4VAL INTE LUG PINCE% PORTSMOUTH, rosc. 5. - " 1 It was Mr. Yorke, the First Lord of the Admi ralty, who made the discovery of the forgeries and frauds coanected with the Navy Office, Greenwich Hospital, &c. In consequence of Gawler, the clerk, being unwell and not able to attend, his duty was performed by another person, who refused to pursue the mal-practices Gawler, and others con nected with him, had been carrying on for a consi derable time. On some 'official papers being laid before Mr. Yorke, he was struck with the appear ance of fraud. A board was immediately assembled, and a very strict investigation took place, which was attended by,the Magistrates of Bow-street, Mr. Graham and Mr. Nares ; and the officers, Lavender and Vickery, were employed to apprehend suspected persons. On Saturday morning; lavender and Vickery took a messenger, and two others, in official situations, into custody, and conveyed them to the Public Of fice, Bow-street, where Mr. Croker, the Secretary to the Admiralty, Mr. Bicknell, the Solicitor to the Admiralty, and Mr. Dyer, the Secretary to Green wich Hospital, attended, and a very long private in vestigation and examination took place, before Mr. &mitt. It appeared, that frauds to the amount of several thousand pounds have been committed for these thirteen years. The investigation was consi dered of so much importance to the pubtic, that Mr. Croker, who was engaged to attend a Board, re-' mained at the office during the whole of the exami nation, which lasted upwards of four hours. The criminality of the messenger greatly astonished the Secretary, as he was a man he had much confidence ia, but from the investigation on Saturday, he turned out the principal confederate of Gawler, the clerk, in causing men's names to be put on the books for a greater number of years service than they had per formed. Thus those persons obtained higher pen sions than they were justly entitled to. Other de. ceptions of a similar nature were carried on, for which Gawler and the messenger received the sum of 201. from each man, for whose interest the fraud was practised. The part the messenger took was the most audacious. It was his duty to read over the long lists of names, and in the course of about one hundred, he would omit reading ten or twelve names, in order that those he and Gawler had agreed with for 201. might be brought forward on a different list, to entitle them to larger pensions, and other privi leges. Mr. Birnie committed them all three for fur -1 the r examination. - , Arrived the Port Mahon from a cruise. Sailed his Majesty's ships if:reury, Spider, and' cyanne, with the West India convoy ; Royal Oak,. Venerable, mid Hotspur, for off Cherburgh. liis Majesty's ship Zenobia takes convoy for Portugal. PLYMOUTH, JA/4. 4. Arrived the American brig' Alma Maria, Jams Irvin, Master, from Bayonne, bound to New Yerk, laden with Wendy, captured by his Majesty's br ig Scylla, of 18 guns, Captain Atchison. Sailed the St. Joseph, of Ilb guns, for Ports mouth. Tho Diadem. of 61 guns, 13 expected to sail to morrow, with 300 French prisoners, for L..2ith ; Slav also takes convey to the Downs. Arrived the l'u!age sloop of war from the west ward. West up harbour to refit, the S(ylin sloop of ‘sar. A French Chasse marce, laden with brainy, cap.' tured by the Arrow schooner, in attempting to go up, llamosze last night, got on the hocks between Drake's Island and Mount Edgcombe, when she filled with water, and was deserted by the crew; hot as "the tide flowed, she floated off last night, and dritte3 - to sea', lend Was picked up by a fishing-boat this morning, and brought into harbour. • The Arrow schooner is now coming in with three other French prizes, which she captured on the coast of France, consisting of a brig and two Chasse marees, laden with wine and brandy. DEAL, JAN. 5. Arrived his Majesty's ship Rapid, with a convoy of coasters and colliers, and one ship from Quebec, from - Falmouth. Sailed his Majesty's ship Rolla, with the Dawson, Peace, .Narova, and Royal Briton transports, with the 3d Regiment of Foot on board, for Cork ; the Cheerly gun-brig, with the outward-bound for Ports mouth; his Majesty's ships Tremendous, Norge, Poidiers, and Valiant; La Pique on a cruize, and the Phipps schooner for Sheerness. FALIWOUTII, JAN. 3. Put in here, by contrary winds, his Majesty's ship Hyacinth, with 12 sail of transports under con voy, for Portugal. Arrh•ed the Landrail cutter, from Scilly ; Mentor, Capt. L'Mertie, from Valencia, in 33 days; and the Echo cutter, from Gibraltar, in 13 days. TORBAY, JAN. 4. Sailed the Acasta frigate and the East Indiamen for India, all well. DARTMOUTH, JAN. 4. BRIGIITON, JAN. 3.—A foreigner, in the habit of a sailor, dirty and ragged in some parts of his exte rior garments, but with a shirt of remarkably fine linen, called at the Golden Cross inn here, last night, for refreshment, where his manner and appearance exciting suspicions to his disadvantage, the constable was sent for, and he was soon after called upon to give an account of himself. Being a Spaniard, and but little acquainted with the English language, a gentleman, the Rev. Dr. Bew, we believe a Roman Catholic clergyman, was applied to, who condescend- Ugly attended the examination, as his interpreter. — 'The man, who is six feet in stature, with dark whis kers, ands countenance the reverse of prepossessing, at first stated, that he reached England as the cook of an American vessel, about fourteen months ago; that he had since resided at Petersfield for a twelve month, which place he had recently left, in conse quence of losing his passport, to visit the Spanish Ambassador in London, which he had done, and obtained another ;_that he had continued in London but one night only, and that he knew nothing of the town, nor any persons in it. Upon searching lils pockets, a passport was found in one of them, but that was dated November 25, which did not tally with his stated visit to the metropolis, and of his continuance there but for one night. But what most operated to confirm him to be a character deserving of detention, was the following direction, without i a name, written on a slip of paper, and which was found with the passport, viz. " No. 6, Martha street, St. George's in the East," as it was imme diately recollected by several gentlemen who attend- ed the examination, that Martha-street is very close :.to the spot where the late atrocious murders were committed, in the neighbourhood of Ratcliffe, and which strengthened the prejudices against him. In addition to this, his statements altogether turned out of so contradictory a nature, that it was evident he laboured at concealment ; and which, with the ad vice of those present, induced the constable to con vey him to and confine him in the town prison.--An account of what has taken place has been sent off to Shadwell Office, from which an answer is ex pected to-morrow. The requisite inquiries, with all I. we possible diligence, are also to be made at Petersfie ld ; and of the result of the whole shall make the earliest communication. Some genuine manuscripts, several or which are in the hand writing of Oliver Cromwell, have been dis covered in a chest, containing records of the town of Ilaverford West. ) The private accounts from' France are to the 4th instant,.and they contain some important darner cial intelligence./ Bc.NiPARTE, in conseqne* of THE MARKETS. ian application from the Council of Commerce, has granted a number of licences for acimittin&into the , eagle F.XCHANGF., Sax. 6.` ports of Bourdeaux, Rouen, Marseilles, and 41"avre, T o _day thraiweisab of rwfi 6be Wheat ark; but a short supp ly, various articles of merchandize limp 811 1 Ul4e9f Fridir's priOes: n tee de ttid Sol inferior ratl i ter e g a i v v y e la wn e y ' . ne l a aley at , which were previously piohibiteci. Atiftwiit inesa are w i t h sit t , and hardly at last prices. White mentioned pot-ashes aed,ltiaes. The ondition ex pressed in the licences•is, effat an equal value shalt • le l at Ti le variat n i O n t . m i l el eh k a - rr ße iv al at 4 o t t(Vat 4 s 9s. nd n ln id thl s s samples are named sawn hat dearer. be exported from Friineerin certain proportions of r. 4 Flo de n er r ; ,i l •rti f i l va n'e riat ith is e n. CURRENT POMO OP CRAIN! raw or manufactured silk, porcelain, window-glass, ! $2.. 110, ?Irk Old) - 46 50, seeds, and wines or brandy ; corn is specially ex- 12. i. I altio our old) - • 5O 53$ cepted, in consequence of the general failure of the R. 50 55.. ! Oats - • 27- So , 93 . -t her France. Arts of ' Cod: - Barley.. - - - M. us. 1101 . 4 1 11 $ Malt. . .79.. 84, Potutoe ditto • - t 9.. 404. 14. • Peas (11nilers1 764. VT.I knee erre - X 56 £62 Pens. 4. •- - 55;.. 611.1 Fine 'Flour - - 95 100s' - - Seroods • SMITH FIELD MARK F.Tonlaii. 6. T.. aink the Mal, per w oior - f u . J. to 60. 4.t. l load actittle till - 114ns Mutton • .5.. 2.1. to 6.. 4d. k Belot. Veal .7s, ud. tri tta. 04..1 Sheep . . rork net. tr. Is.. 4.1. Calves HS, 440 Lark. • . Os. 01.1.-toBL A 4 A pial Nny ."!!l'lttroott .`....110 1 11. W. to' It 10tottg. .1 4111,40 W. to Ail s . A. 04. • Arrived the Eliza cartel, from Morlaix, with two English and one French Lady, passengers; also an American Messenger from Paris, with dispatches fot London. N '• . , IN. '- t ~' • EN ~;~ T '3 ~~~ •~. S Yml_ f I 0 TO MR. CHARLES KEMBLE. - - might not bare presumed to reply to so exalted a character as, in your estimation, you ap pear, if it was not to prevent your evident inclina tion to connect Mr. Malays with the writer of the articles which you so whimsically complain of. He had no knowledge of such statements whatever. — And now, Sir, you may allow me to ask, how it happened that you did not condescend to attempt some refutation of the only assertion of fact con tained therein, viz. that Mrs. C. KEMBLE refused to continue the performance of her original and conti nued character of Judith, before you begin to blus ter out your threats of legal process ? But, gentle conditioned Sir, my Solicitor shall be wady to meet your's at any time you please, if, in your superior wisdom, you should conceive this to be the best mode of terminating the discussion !—Your's, &c. Tat WRITER OP tea PARAGRAPHS. FORTIFICATIONS AT LISBON. Extract of a letter, dated Dec. 13:—" Last week I made a visit to the lines, fortified by Lord Wel lington, which will be celebrated for ages, as having withstood the concentrated force of the French ar mies, and saved Portugal. Unless you have had some idea of the nature of this barrier, from the fre quent mention of it, you may not fully comprehend my brief description. The lines may be said to de fend a triangular portion of the kingdom of Portu gall possessing peculiar importance, by containing the capital, the port, and the grand depdts. The preservation of Lisbon is of the first importance ; and to effect this, nature has so wonderfully pro vided, that a comparatively Wall share remains to be performed by art. This, however, ceasing to speak in relative terms, is a work of wonderful amount. From Alhandra, a little town on the north bank of the Tagus, about '23 miles from Lisbon, to Mafra, on the coast fronting the Western Ocean, runs a chain of mountains of perhaps 40 miles ; so entire, that a passable valley rarely intervenes. The part which I have seen has the outward ridge so ' abrupt, that after marching up a rugged and harass. Ing ascent, an army would find, that even then to gain the height, they would need scaling ladders as Much as if a regularly built wall was to be sur. mounted. The few directions in which a body of men could approach, are so commanded by artillery, 'that an effectual slaughter would be carried on during the time occupied in the most expeditious march.— Ditches, pallisades, and other works, tend greatly I to the inaccessibility of the place. Among the means 1 employed is a perfect line forested of the trenks and branches Of trees, laid on the ground, with their sprouts outwards : a species of obstacle which would be found of immense trouble to pass; impossible, in fact, to either infantry or cavalry. Supposing, how ever, all these difficulties overcome, the end is not yet attained. There being a succession of heights in the rear, the passes are all guarded, and there are. large forts upon the summits, which being sufficiently provided for resistance, would require a regular siege to reduce. An extensive valley in front, form- I ed the separation between our's and Massenerarmy this time last year. The French were encamped upon a corresponding, thouch more gentle elevation 4 on the other side ; where every movement and ope ration were seen by glasses from our pests. I have been told by Officers who were on the spot, that the sight was of the most pleasing description ; and par ticularly at night, when the fires for cooking, &c. formed a track of flame winding along the inequality of the ground for many miles. In the towns I saw, the marks of French possession still remain. Shut ters, doors, picture-frames, even, 11 were destroyed to serve as fuel. The Nuturalist# Pocketer - h as I year exhibits . description of nature, which , most curious *t* the Platypuf druped, th! (mm BRuci, &c. &c. Price • AI ,Ilel/144 LgLs 5 • . 4. . • IS f* ' French possession still remain. Shut- . ce p~eu , e i ctum a rame s, even, door. an d Agi n , : last harvest in France, at . l 4, : i th il e ..j r ,,,, parts . of . the C opti. 1; r a rl i t e! •ed to serve as fuel. 1 neut. ..• IW. Pe .........--...- 4, • Twttrvu _Pqr..,--rfe olls - the festivities or oral i iralises Pocket-Book for the prompt j CM, iktei 41114 Rd* ,--e ! Teat is ushered in by . a r. ° ' tb ec tt 5 a degree of elegance and istateat iw•the • the tigithrift 0 ( - a, sin. . . . of the plates, all highly colowed after : lee oaf, OA our a , (Met mile of 411#,1N1 . we ch is worthy of public attention ;.•the indepertOftta - e k' 1 re t Prakpe, c 6. byte., sittgla i m„,,,, I are the Carnelian, the fabulous Lizard , ' Ticket WA' . ' ~., . .r i Or , . sif tli.Tive Irr. t Y ; E';':, . i i‘, or New Holland Amphibious Qua- i ThotisadC4 I t Cgpttal PrAzsbili t t R,Ric i. . 6, Nut-weevil, Binti of Paradise, Fenno:, .:,,t_ . 'stlgt , Lil fr , .%. ..1 1 , 5 6n. it ... r l {P_ ~ , 274iff„. r , described in 1111,Z-obeli fkLtintirkitia he l k out T • .7. , . , ul .. - • t ipoi f . .. ), 411_1 ' ' ' , .• r. . v • 'ca ice Bs . lu case; or 10s. &don motecm.r. , lise!cf ei . T A , I .'l ,1 " ' -.•r - ilf, er d ~ .T:.4 , I .7:14 .... .Is 4 0,1 , , - la Is t,= o it; .40 6•e sit • Asiirl vc....:w . ti , ... --.... SHEERNESS, JAR. 5. Came into dock the Regains, of 44 guns; the Seine and Ratak frigates; and the Quebec pegged up the River for Chatham. The Dail* and Crescent are hourly expected at the Nore with the St. George, 98, which was reported to have been lost. The Edinburgh, 74, Captain Rolles, will , zail the moment the wind is fair for the Mediterranean, from Portsmouth. The Impregnable, 98, in Portsmouth Harbour, is orderectio be fitted for the flag of Admir it Young, Captain . 54‘Kentie,und the officers of the Chris/kis PIE cr will remove,io her. Reai-Admiral Durham, who, since his refill.* fro*, the Baltic, has commanded the squadron which block ades the enemy's Beet in the Terel, is now actively employed in directing the re-equipment of all the ships at Spithead. On Fiitisy night, one of the detestable gang of mis creants that are so odious and disgraceful to the coon, try, was detected with a soldier at Knightsbridge. An examination took, place early next morning, before the Rev. Dr. Bate Dudley, in the Barracks, when the evidence.appeared so clear against a man who calls himself George Alger, and stated that he was a hair-dresser in the City, that he was fully committed by that Magistrate to Newgate, to be triad for that horrible offence: An Italian Journal mentions, that in July last, the skeleton of a man, ten feet three inches high, was dug up in the valley of Mazara, in Sicily. Human skeletons, of gigantic size, hare heretofore been found iu the same spot. A number of unprincipled persons are now em. ptoyed in obtaining, under various pretences, the old half-crowns which are in circulation. The silver smiths, to whom they carq them, melt them down in general, in lieu of bullion, for the manufacture of silver articles. ~, I • I ) I :I!