The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1803-04-21 00:00:00

ELECTION OF A TREASURER. FOR THE CoIWTY OF SURREY. Yln A T APRIL IN T70;4 Jar the Sessions commenced for the County of Surrey. After the usual business had been gone through, the Clerk of the Peace declared a vacancy of the offic,..! or Treasurer for the County, in conse quence of the death of Mr. Pardon; upon which the Cour! adjourned, in order to appoint a Chairman ; and Mr. Robert Hudson was nuanimously called to the Chair. Sir RODENT BA IC rose, aod proposed Mr. John AUcock to fill that highly important office. lie de scribed him as a person eminently qualified to dis charge the duties of a sit cation of such trust and responsibility. He was a man who deservedly en joyed the esteem of the County at large ; his strid integrity was onlyto be equalled by iris ability.— The manlier in waieh he had deported himself on every public occasion, which afforded him the op portunity of rendering his services to tie inhabitants in general of the County, and in promoting the pub lic Merest, entitled him to the warmest expressions a gratitude from every one who considered inte grity and merit as the most legitimate recommen dation to public favour. The nomination of this ger.tlernan was seconded by Mr. Page. Sir THOHAS TeMTON then proposed Mr. George Ware ; he expatiated on his professional merits, and observed that lie had for some years ailed for the late Mr. Pardon in the duties of the office he was now soliciting, and on that account he thought he bad a I tir claim to succeed him. The Honourable Baronet hoped Mr. Allcock, the Candidate, would not consider that lie had come forward as the pro poser of Mr. Ware from any principle of reiviament at what he had said of him .a the late eleftion for the Borough; he could assure him he was not in fluetced by any such motive. lie had no idea till lie entered Ryegate of proposing Mr. Ware, nor should he have done so if he had not been solicited by the Borough Magistrates. The proposition of Sir Thomas was seconded by Major Gaitskill. Mr. Rien•an Weary, Magistrate of Egliam, came forward and bore testimony to Mr. Ware's knowledge of his business. Mr. Joys, the Marshall of the King's Bench, spoke in favour of Mr. Ware. He should not, he said, enlarge upon the integrity, the honour, or abi lity of the Candidate, to whose cause he wished suc cess ; he should mention what was of much more importance, and more in his favour than had he been endued with all the cardinal virtues ; he was a Solicitor who had never had any complaints made against him in any of the Courts for mal-praCtices ; be had never been suspended for any pettyfogging tricks, and therefore was the most worthy man in the County to become a Treasurer. The Chairman then proceeded to the election in the usual form: he ;asked Lord Bulkley, one of the county Magistrates, for whom he voted ? he replied that he voted in tavout of John Allcock, Esq. He then proceeded to put the same question to the whole bench ofJustices. AU the Noble Lords and leading Gentlemen of the County, who were in the magis tracy, voted in favour of Mr. Allcock, with the ex ception of Lord Grantley, Sir John Frederick, and Sir Thomas Turton. Among the most conspicuous a the f. iends of Mr. Allcock, who voted in his fa vour, we noticed Lord William Russel, Admiral Onslnw, Sir George Glynn, Si. Frederick Eden, Sir Robert Baker, and many other persons equally dis tinguished. Upon casting up the votes they stood thus : For Mr. Allcock - 111 For Mr. Ware Majority in favour of Mr. Allcnck 'Besides the Chairman, who WAS in favour of the successful candidate_ A good deal of conversation afterwards took place, as to the nature and extent of the security to be given by the Treasurer. It was at length deter mined that two Gentlemen should enter into recog mizances for 35001. Joseph Allcock, Esq. and Ma jor Thomas Allcock, immediately proposed them selves as sureties for that sum ; they were of course accepted. The Court then adjourned for a few minute!, in order to go intowhat was called a'Gaol Committee, when the Clerk of the Peace declared, that the office of Treasurer for the County Gaol was also vacant by the death of Mr. Pardon. _ _ Sir Robert Baker proposed Mr. John Allcock as the most proper person to till this office ; he was se conded by Mt. Page. Mr. CARFEHTLII SMITH addressed the Court, and said, he conceived there could not be any opposition to the appointment of the very respedahle Gentle man who had just been elected to the o ffi ce of Trca surer for the County. A :hew of hands immediately declared the Liz:- tion in favor of Mr. Allcock. . _ There never %cis remembered an eleftion of the kind contested with so much warmth, zeal, and party spirit. Mr. Allcock was supported by the interest of a very large majority of the Noblemen and Gentry of the County, aided by the influence of the Treasury. Mr. Ware, on the other hand, numbered among his friends the whole of the Borough Magistrates, except Mr. Pinhorn2 very powerfu: body to con tend with. The Magistrates considered themselves certain of carrying rhvir point, and were extremely nu...titled at their disappointment. The noble, opulent, and respatable supporters of Mr. Allcock were the more rejoiced at their success, as they conceived it had relieved the County at large from the unpleasant imputation of having aticd un gmerously and unhandsomely towards Mr. Allcock, mho had upon all occasions shewn himself a real friend• to the constitutional rights of the country. They reeolleaed, that after his appointment to the (Ace of Clerk of the Bench, at Wandsworth, he had been obliged to resign his situation in conse quence of his political opinions not according exaetly with those who were the supporters of the late war. The unjust clamour raised against him, on account of his powerful support of an Opposition Candidate, had rendered it impossible for him to hold the of fice to which he had been duly eleifled with any de gree of sad-station to himself. Happily and ho nourably for the cuunty these invidious distinaions have now pasted away, by the sense unequivocally expressed upon this occasion of Mr. Allcock's merit and pretensioL.:_ Pooley Kois:rigton, F.sq. thi High Sheriff of the ccuntv, d t tra d t ,i The business having concltrded, • the Niagi..trates, Noblettatti. and Gen tlemen, in the interest of the successful Candidate, repaired to the White !tart Inn at Ryegate, where a sumptuous entertainment was provided for them, and they spent the day with the utmost hilarity. The Magistrates, on the contrary, who had sup ported Mr. Ware, returned to town without even deigning to take any refreshment. Never was any defeat more compltte than theirs was. This affair etched as much interest throughout the County and Borough of Southwark, as the most violently contested Elation for a Member of Parlia ment : there was scarce a person of rank and conse quence in the whole county who was not at Ilyegate, either for the purpose of giving his vote, or of wit nessing the result of the Eleaion. It will, no doubt, be recollected by the public, that Mr. Allcoek, the fortunate candidate, is the gentleman who so materially contributed to the suc cess of Mr. 'net nevi's petition to the House of Coro- Illoos against the return of Mr. Thellusson fur the 13urutign ut Numhwark. Yesterday presented the very extraordinary circumstance of a vessel wrecked, from IP tress of weather, in the Thames, between Blacktriars Bridge and the Temple Gardens. It was a large coal barge with two men on board. A vast num ber of skiffs went off to her assistance, but they could only save the two men ; the vessel went down in a few minutes after. 1: is hardly possible to pa rallel an instance in this part of the river of so for midable an hurricane as that by which the Thames was yesterday agitated. It was even considered an aa of daring intrepidity on the part of those who ventured out in boats for the purpose of rescuing those who were in the barge. It is a justice we owe to the men on board, to state, that their employers may give them credit for having done every thing, which skill and courage was cap ble of, in order to save their property. Blackfriar's- Bridge, and all the banks of the river that com manded a view of the scene was crowded with spec tators. NVhen the neutral Kings of Spain, Prussia, and Denmark addressed themselves to the Direetors, MF.II L &c. they styled them Great and dear Friends, (Grands et ch:Ts Amis) which no doubt encouraged REWBEL in t nu, to de mand a certain Princess in marriage for his son, a Republican Officer. This insolence was not resented but overlooked ; and with the other Kings of different faaions, is now become the subject of BONAPARTE, and with his son is confounded amongst the name/en thoutandr, whose existence could only be known out of their native village by such a Rev olu• don as the French, where crimes and intrigues have received the dignity and reward of talents and virtue. We learn by a letter received from Bengal, that AHMED KHAN KLZELBAsitEL, and other Afghan Chiefs, have determined to place on the Throne of Tur.us the eldest EJn of Maussooo Slim!, who is now at Cabul. A guard is set over the house of WHV ADAK Ku.., the late Vizier. The younger son of Mmistooo SHAH is sent by his father to take pos session of Peshaweer ; but a son of ZEMAN SHAH is in that province ; he has colletted about four thou sand men, and having brought over by the promise of reward some 6irdars from Malissooo SHAH'S service, is levying a larger force. He has put the Royal Tai on his own head, and is preparing to en counter MAHMOOD SHAH in the field. There are at this moment, in London, and differ ent parts of England, upwards of six thousand poor Swiss men, women, and children, emigrants from their wretched country, and many of them labour ing under complicated misery ; proud, however, of being the offspring i,f WILLIAM TELL, and glow ing with conscious integrity of sentiment. Among them are many Officers of tried valour and talents, but who, being unproteeted, know not how to ap ply for commissions at the source of military ho nour. The Engli4l Court has sent an Officer to Vienna, to request that a certain number of Officers and common men, from an excellent corps of bomba diers and cannoneers, may be permitted to enter into the Elish service. This request, however, has been r efused. On Monday last a press-gang attempted, rit Gravesend to board the Dorsetshire, outwardibound East Indiaman, Captain R. H. BROWN, and the crew resisted ; upon which a part of the gang fired, killed one of the crew of the Dorsetshire, and wound ed another, who is since dead. One of the Officers nearly escaped being shot. The Clerk was expected down to pay the ship the following day, previous to her sailing : but in consequence of this unfortunate affair, she still remains at anchor. Thuy cite as extraordinary proof of unusual rang (rod, and an extraordinary activity, the issue of the evcnt , ., which took place on the night of the 13th lkccrlll)er, on board the ship Le Bon Pere, COM• manded by Citizen Lambert de Saint-Valery-sur- Sonniee. This ship was destined for the island of Martinico. Having left Havre in the most propitious season it had arrived under the proteetion of the trade-winds, to 14 deg. 40 min. north latitude, and 49 deg. west longitude, when inconstant Fortune ceased to show herself favourable : two hours after midnight a smell of smoke, which manifested itself in the ship, made them stsspeft there was a considerable tire. On opening the hatch-ways near the mizen-mast, the flames but* forth as from the crater of a volcano, and rose as high as the sails. The consternation of the crew was dreadful—the difficulties of stop ping the fury of the flames were increased by the obscurity of the night, and still more from the ter. ror and disorder arising from so alarming a situa tion. Citizen Lambert, by his prudence and his courage, supplied the means of safety, throwing overboard all his effeas, which he thought it impos sible to preserve, without encreasing the common danger ; he, by this generous example, determined all his companions to make the same sacrifices. The communications between the air and the fire were carefully intercepted, water was poured in torrents over the flames, and every one exerted himself to triumph over to redoubtable an enemy x . such efforts were not without success. The day following at eight in the evening the crew were enabled to take some repose. It is extraordinary, the place where the fire began wasinaccessible, from the merchandise with which it was filled. iNTELLIGNGE. COIAT OF KING'S ISEN(III, GUILUIf ALL, Aram 20. Lord ELteNIOROc;H attended at nine tickck t 1 usual ; there were nine Special Jury Causes for trial bitt the records were either withdrawn, or the subjeds of litigation referred to arbitration. OLD MILEr. WEDNESDAY, ATEIL 4 20. Before tbt Hin. Mr.lattict HF.ATH and Mr. Baron THOMPSON. Captain William Pier, was indi&ed for feloniously and maliciously shooting at William Cobb, with a pistol loaded with ball. Mary gohnton was also indicted for aiding and assisting in the commission of the said offence. Mr. CONST, as Counsel for the prosecution, ex= plained the nature of the offence to the Jury, and called the witnesses. The first was Cobb, the prosecutor; he appeared in Court with his head bound up ivith a handker chief. He said he was a journeyman butcher, and that lie lived with Mrs. Sharp, who kept a butcher's shop in Paddington-street. On the sth of January last, while he was backwards in the slaughter-house, he heard a noise in the shop ; and, on going to see what was the matter, he observed the prisoners, Captain Piers and Miss Johnson ; the former had hold of Lawrence Morby (his mistress's ap prentice) by the collar, and was shaking of him ; witness interfered, and desired Captain - Piers to let the boy alone ; on which Miss Johnson said, " it was not the boy that insulted me, it was that mar.," (meaning Cobb.) Captain Piers then collared the witness, and called.the watch ; the Watchman came up, and ,Piers gave witness in charge. By this time Mrs. Sharp, the mistress of the house, had come to the spot, and she desired witness also to give charge of Captain Piers, which he did. The watchman then laid hold of the prisoner, and at tempted to keep him, but he got away, as did the lady. Captain Piers stepped back, and that instant the witness was shot under the right car. He did riot sec Captain Piers when he felt himself wounded by the discharge of the pistol ; the watchman caught him as he was falling, and after that he was igno rant of what passed. Witness said he had not seen the prisoner before the quarrel took place in the shop. Lawrence Morhy, an apprentice to Mrs. Sharp, said, that on the sth of January, about nine o'clock in the evening, he was in Paddington -street, which was before Cobb was shot ; he knew both the pri soners, and had seen Miss Johnson walking, first in Paddington -street, and afterwards in High-street. Cobb, witness, and the watchman, were - laughing and talking together when Miss Johnson paL.sed, who said to witness, " Young man, you shall suffer for that," (meaning something he had said) ; he then went into the shop, and shortly after Captain Piers came, and collared him. Miss Johnson said, " That is the boy who insulted me ;" on which Cap tain Piers shook the witness. Cobb came out of the slaughter-house into the shop, and asked what was the matter ? Miss Johnson, on seeing him, said, " It is not the boy, it is that man, that insulted me ;" on which Captain Piers collared Cobb, and called out watch ! Mrs. Sharp then came, and asked what insult had been given ; but received no answer from the prisoners. Captain Piers got to the steps of the door, and the watchman came, to whom charge was given of Cobb, and Cobb gave charge again of the prisoner. A scuffle then en sued, and Captain Piers released himself from the watchman, who had laid hold of him; after which, he stepped back, drew out a pistol, and presented it within six yards of Cobb's head. After he had fired it, he said, " There, take that," and then took Miss Johnson by the arm, and ran down the street. Witness did not hear Cobb say any thing to Miss Johnson. On being cross-examined by Mr. AL LEY, Coun sel for the prisoners, he said he did not know the lady was waiting for any person in the fishmonger's shop, next door to the butcher's ; and denied having behaved with any indecency towards her when she passed by him. Timothy Corbet, a watchman, stated, that in Janu ary last, he was with Cobb and a watchman at the door of the butcher's shop. Miss Johnson passed by and began to laugh ; witness, and those in his company laughed also, on which she turned round and said, " You vagabonds, what do you laugh at?" She walked on and said, " I will get a pill for you " Witness then went away, and saw no more until Cobb was shot. On being cross-examined by Mr. KNowt.vs, he said the lady appeared intoxicated, but not drunk. Witness was sure he had not placed a wrong con tion on the expression made use of by her when she passed them. Mary Sharp said she kept a butcher's shop in Paddington-street. On the sth of January she heard a noise ; she saw Captain Piers, and Miss Johnson standing in the passage. Miss Johnson said she had been insulted by the boy who was then in the shop. Witness said she was sorry for it, and would make any recompence. Captain Piers in sisted upon his being taken to the watch-house.— Witness begged of him to let the boy alone, as no one was present to take his pat t. By this time Cobb came to the boy's assistance, and in a civil manner told Captain Piers to go away. Miss Johnson said it was the man that had insulted her, and not the boy. This she repeated three times. Witness then deposed nearly to the same purpose as the forego ing respeelitig the discharge of the pistol. William Sergeant, a coachman, said he was com ing down Paddington-street, and observed Captain' Piers striking the boy in the shop. Witness saw Mrs. Sharp come in, and heard her ask what was the matter. Miss Johnson said she had been in sulted, and during the altercation Cobb came in, and Captain Piers collared him, and called the watchman. Captain Piers made his escape from the watchman, be made a step back, and put his hand into his pocket, from which he drew out a pistol, fired, and said, " There, take that ;" he then took the lady by the arm, and went off. The people said, " Do not let him escape, he has committed murder." Francis Buckley, the watchman who took charge of Cobb, stated nearly the same with respeCt to the commencement of the dispute between Cobb and Capt. Piers, as the other witnesses ; he added, that when Captain Piers got off the curb-stone into the street, be said, " By Heavens I will blow his brains out." After the pistol bad been fired, the witness .m 1a..- sprang mttle, ar. tcol; the prisoner into custody; witness had i laid hold of Cobb to prevent striking Piers previous to the discharge of the pistol. Julin Andrews, an overseer of Mary-le-bone pa rish, was standing opposite Sharp's shop when the pistol was fired he went over and desired the watchman to secure the persons as they had com mitted mutder. Witness heard Captain Piers say, when he was told that he had shot the man, 46 D—n him, I am glad of it ; I wish I had shotlhim through the heart.' Richard Moyer, the keeper of the watch-house, state-I, that he proceeded to search the prisoners when they were first brought in. Captain Piers said " You have no occasion to search me;" and im mediately gave up a pistol which he had in his breeches pocket. Mr. Morris, the surgeon, stated, that he ertratied the ball from the back of the right cheek of Cobb— it had struck the upper jaw, and had fell backwards; it had not penetrated far. John Mackintosh, of the Startip-Office, teas pass ing by the shop, and saw' a lady pass by, at the same time the butcher's boy was at the door, hooting at her. She went about twenty yards up the street, and then returned, when the boy and others cried out, " Rag, tag and bobtail." She went into the fishmonger's shop, and soon after a gentleman Came out with het ; on which the mart and boy went away ; witness followed the lady and gentleman into Sharp's shop; where Captain Piers demanded who it was that had insulted the lady- Mrs. Sharp said she could not tell. As she was speaking, the boy came in, and Miss Johnson said, " That is he." Captain Piers caught him by the coat, and asked him how he had dared to insult any person in the street. While he was talking to him, Cobb came in from the street, and asked what Captain Piers wanted? observing, that if he did not go out of the house, he would turn him out , at the same time laid hold of him. Captain Piers desired him to take his arm away, and went into the street ; at that time the Captain had not touchltsl Cobb. The watch was called, and on the arrival of the watchman, he was desired to take Cobb in charge, who tnade use of very abusive language; and said he would not go without the Captain_ Piers turned round, said something to the watch'. man, and then pulled Cobb by the coat down the steps of the shop. A number of persons tried to iniet the parties, but Cobb cried out, "Let me have time and I will give him his gruel :" He then went and aimed several blows at the prisoner, and Miss Johnson rushed in between them. Witness soon after heard the report of a pistol, and found that Cobb was shot. Cobb had often insulted the witness while he was passing by the house in which he lived, Wit ness saw Miss Johnson when she was walking up the street, her dress and manner at that time were modest and becoming. James Attlee, a servant to Mr. Lowe, a pawn broker, corroborated the last witness in every parti cular. Mr. Reeve also stated to the same purport as Mr. Mackinto,l. Mr. John Dunkin was called in behalf of the pri soner's charaFler i • he had known him ever since the year 171:!8, and h ad always found him a man of a, good temper, and a Gentleman in his behaviour. Prisoner originally belonged to the 22d regiment, but was now Captain in another regiment. Witness knew that he lived out of town, and had frcquentlr carried a pistol in his pocket for safeguard when hes, left town. Captain A. D. Young, Captain Erskine, Captains Morley, and several other persons of the highest res. peEtability, also gave him an excellent charaCter; and said, that they had never known him to be pc,ssessed of a rash temper. Mrs. Club and Mrs. Woffs, appeared in behalf of Miss Johnson, and gave her an exceeding good charaaer. The whole of the evidence being gone through. Mr. Justice HEATH addressed the Jury, and ob served to them, that they must give their verdia is the present case, in the same manner as if a murder had been aaually committed. He summed up, and remarked the material difference which had appeared in the evidence. If the Jury should believe that advanced on the part of the prosecutor, they could not fail to find the prisoners guilty ; if they should credit the evidence for the prisoners, they could not faii to acquit them. The Jury retired for near two hours and a half, and on their return pronounced both the prisoners—. Not guilty. Thursday last ISAAC BLOWERS, Esq. was eleeted Portreeve of the town of Beccles, and for the fourth time ; a circumstance which had never before taken place is the annals of the Corporation, and requir ing at least a space of full 48 years. The preparations for war, it is estimated, have al seady involved an expence of 5,000,0001. The annual Easter plate was run for on Tuesday, on Barham Voi.k.ns, and won by Mr. WI T HER.. DEN'S bay horse Shp-byf, beating Mr. HA MPTON'S horse Rafe, and Mr. ScoveLL's brown horse. Thursday last a post-chaise, containing two ladies and a gentleman, was overturned on its way front Brandon to Bury, and one of the former received considerable injury.--lt is confidently said that the driver of the chaise was asleep, in consequence of which the accident happened. At a meeting of the Deputy-Lieutenants held at Bury St. Edmund's on Friday last, it was ordered, that the parish allowance to persons providing Sub stitutes for the Militia, in the Western division of that county, be 41. each man, which was deemed half of the average current price for procuring the same. We learn from good authority, that the famous DUMOUKIEZ has again solicited permission to serve in British pay, in the event of a renewal of hostili ties against France ; but, from what we have heard, we are well assured that his offer has been rejeßed, and that even with a kind of contempt. The contagious fever, fashionably termed I,:t7u enta, has lately raged with dreadful violence and effea in some parts of Lincolnshire. An alarming instance of mortality occasioned by it presented it self last week at Hplbeach, where a family of a man. and his wife and their lodger, (the man a brewer to Mess. BAItKEK and J K INSON) were each seized, as they considered, slightly, with the malady on Mon day, all three found dead in their beds on Tuesday, and buried together on the following day ! the na ture and virulence of the disease rendering their speedy interment highly necessary. I I .•••• • C ~ II 'f f ~ tza i i 4