The Sun. — London, England, 1829-04-30 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE :LONDON JOURNALS. Whoever has • ,-.tak.,n. the trouble. to read atten tively. the observations made from time to time in this Journal on the state of Ireland, will recollect, that when the Disfranchisement Bill was first named to Ptudiament, we predicted the necessity of pro viding for that change which the measure would produce, or rather accelerate, in the relations between landlord and tenant, throughout the island, by some plan of relief and protection to the poor. Immense numbers of poor peasants were invited to settle on landed properties in every part of Ireland, in the character of forty-shilling voters. Esta.es were minced up in the smallest portions, for this one po litical . object. The young men so made into free holders invariably took wives, as a necessary appen dage to the freehold residence; and this subdivision of the land was speedily followed by an enormous increase of population. The object for which such a mass of people was created and located no longer ex sts,and the wretched peasantry will be banished as rapidly as the law will enable the landlords to oust them from their henceforth useless holdings. Nor will it be at all requisite that the landlord should put off the fulfilment of this purpose until the regular ex piration of the several leases; the poor• Irish tenant is always at his landlord's mercy, because his rent is at all times in arrear. Then let us ask what be comes of these myriads of destitute people ? Can any human heart contemplate the miseries of their condition without shuddering ? We are sure that the Duke of Wellington cannot : we are sure that he who spoke with such manly abhorrence: of civil' war cannot look with indifference at the destruction of more then half a million of helpless wretches, doomed to die of cold and hunger,—the worst cala mities attendant on that very state of war which he deprecates. We have no doubt that the King's Government will feel it to be its duty to take upon itself the suegestion, or the execution (if it be sug gested by others), of some scheme for averting or alleviating the disastrous consequences of the• Di s Till, which was the measure—and, upon the whole, a wise and statesman-like mea sure—of that Government. Among the pro jects which are alluded to by our Dublin corre spondent, is-one at which we on a former occa sion hinted ourselves, viz., the introduction of a system of poor laws into Ireland—we do not say the modern English system. We do not mean to allege quite positively how much of that system, as at present operating, ought to be rejected,—how much of the original law of Elizabeth ought to be Adopted, or of that which restrained the erection of cot:ages for the unprovided poor. The law of Scot land, we are assured, works well in Scotland, and at far loss comparative expense than the system which now prevails throughout this country. In Scotland it is said that few or no questions arise, or at least proceed so far as to be litigated with regard to settlement—a branch of the subject which,- with st ,, , is so prolific of law-suits and of barbarity to wards the poor themselves. But in Ireland we are thoroughly convinced that something must be done, and done without procrastination, for saving the peasants---disfranchised and expelled as they are shout to be—from absolute destruction to them selves and children by fa,nine. That there will bea violent resistance to all such proposals, we are well aware; and so, we doubt not, are his Majesty's Mi nisters. But little need the Duke of Wellington, if once satisfied of the rectitude of his osn policy,— little need he dread the opposition of selfish, sordid, and unfeeling men—to an act in which all the en lightened and generous of the upper class in both countries, and all the lower, without exception, can not fail to lend him the most cordial and grateful support. The second expedient mentioned by our Dublin letter is colonization; but that is a large subject, on which we have not time nor space now to enter. Other and more obvious and less ex pensive expedients should first be tried : certain at least we are, that colonization, except on a very serge and therefore costly scale, is good for nothing. The appointment of the Due de Laval Montmo rency to the •Portfolio of Foreign Affairs is. in itself, perhaps, a matter of minor importance, but it is of extreme interest, as affording some insight into the state of parties in France. The character and ta lents of the new Minister are admitted by all parties to be of the class significantly designated as respect able; and the whole course of his public life shows that his politics are, as might be expected, firm, but moderate. It was precisely this exemption from the d4xzling, but dangerous, eminence of superior ability, that recommended the new Minister to the choice of the Sovereign, and at the same time con ciliated the discordant interests which the nomina tion of M. tie Chateaubriand had placed in a posi tion of outrageous hostility. The late Minister, De Villele, whose secret influence is felt, but not acknow ledged, had avowed his decided hostility to M. de Chateaubriand ; and, from causes already known to our readers, it was found dangerous to provoke, and im. possible to reconcile, the Ex-Minister to his appint merit ; while similar feeling, but in oppo ite quar ters, presented insuperable obstacles to the Prince de Polignac, whom his Sovereign would willingly have selected for the long-vacant Portfolio. Under these:peculiar circumstances, a Nobleman of high birth, of known moderation, of respectable ability, and of spotless character, was selected ;" not as being the man in every possible respect more eligible, but as a sort of me= !ermine, which would disarm the asperity of faction, and afford no decisive triumph to the Ultras of any description, It yet remains to be seen whether the Duc de Laval will exchange the olium cum dignitale of a high diplomatic station for the more brilliant, but infinitely more precarious and turbulent, position of an active Member of the exist ing Administration. It may be worth remarking, that most of our contemporaries, in their observa tions on the recent appointment of the Duc de La val Montmorency, confound him with his cousin, the Duc Matthieu de Montmorency, who has been dead some years.—Morning Chronicle. It is time that the Duke of Welliagton were told, if he has not been already, that no small proportion of the community begin to look with apprehension on the course which he is pursuing. It is one thing to pull down a house, but quite another to repair it. Indeed there have been such things known as houses being pulled down where the astonished owner found he had not materials to re build it with, and became for many years a houseless outcast. Oa the same principle, there is in political matters a wide difference between reform ar,d inno vation, but of which latter character some of his Grace's measures, and more with which the coun try is threatened, seem to partake. One " break ing in upon the Constitution" the country has already witnessed. How many more " b eakings in" are in store for it, it has yet to learn. But though there is an apparent passive indifference which partakes but little of true public spirit, we cannot persuade ourselves that this latter quality is extinct in the country, or will be found wanting if an ur gent occasion should arise for its exercise. The absence of any thing like a constitutional or effective opposition in Parliament is a new and awkward tlilemma for the country. The Whigs excuse them olves by saying, " What is there left for us to op po,e, now that the Duke has adopted our advice and oor principles ?" These gentlemen must ex cuse us fi,T not being aware of this. It is true that the Duke has taken them by the hand as far as Ca tholic emancipation is concerned; but we thought, first, that even Catholic emancipation had been but a bastard stock of genuine Whigery; and that the Duke's evident tendency to make his OWII profession uppermost in all the civil concerns of the State was what even the Whigs of so late a day. . as those of Fox, of Mackintosh, of Brougham, and of Burdett, would have startled: at with dis may. We suspeCt, therefore,- that the Duke has found some other mode of silencing the Parlia mentary Whigs than by merely adopting °a stray opi nion or two which they themselves' were not agreed about. His Grace, we think, understands the power and the art of political coquetry and ogling. He knows the power, we presume,. of that all-attractive loadstone which- patronage furnishes him with, and that the Whigs, hungry es they have always been as politicians, cannot resist those numerous temptations to silence and good behaviour which his Grace holds out to them. But the more they see public men deserting their duty for these or any other reasons, the more it behoves the people to be true to them selves. There are certain political land-marks which cannot be approached, much less passed, without danger; and if his Grace, or any other Minister, ap proaches or attempts to pass t hero, 'we trust there will always be a public voice, loud enough to make itself be heard and respected, to say to that Mini ster, " Thus far you may go, but no farther."— Morning Herald. The proceedings of the Gentlemen who frequent the Stock Exchange, furnish assuredly no test by -which to form an opinion of the state of trade and business -throughout tl►e country; but of late they have been so thoroughly uninteresting—the market so depressed—speculation so completely done up— and business of every sort so totally at a stand, that we cannot_ but consider the present state of the Money Market as identified in every respect with the deplorable state of the country. To ac count for the pressure now so universally felt in the sale of goods, and the transaction of mat ters involving payments, every. possible cause is sought for, and every possible expedient resorted to by the advocates of a golden currency and the opponents of a cheap currency. The natural course of trade, they say,.has been interrupted by the dis turbances in South America, and the more obnoxi ous stoppage caused by the war in the East ; but while we willingly concede that much mischief has been caused in both ways, we re -assert, and with out the contradiction of any one who has giv=en the slightest attention to the subject, and in spite even of the agreement in opinion - with us, of the Bone collector and Indian corn man (whose produce of an acre and a half on Barn Elms farm, about three quarters of a mile from town, was to provide plenty for the whole starving population of the country we say, that in spite even of this most unfavourable and prejudicial agreement in opinion with us, the contraction of the small note currency is the prin cipal cause. And why ? The country bankers have been compelled to contract the amount of their dis counts, or credits to their customers; and this con traction has again operated on those with whom the customers of these banks had dealings, and produced on the one head a want of money for carrying on commercial and mat►ufecturing enterprises; and on the other a want of means to purchase, which have been wholly unknown since the spring of 1826. The truth o' this satement will, we doubt not, be come by and bye more and more notorious to every one, and is indeed notorious to every one who re flects that the country is not only now called upon to pay in gold what it only contracted to pay in paper, but that it is called upon by the Government to pay at the same time three times the amount of the taxes ! At the time that paper money was substituted for gold, the whole taxesof the country only amounted to about eighteen millions; now they are upwards of fifty ; and reckoning the difference of value be tween a paper and gold currency, the taxation of he present year is much more onerous than the highest amount of taxation tiuring that awful period when the country had to struggle with almost every power in Europe. We put it, therefore, in the first place, to every rational person, whether the present distressed state of trade is not satisfactorily accounted for by the facts we have mentioned, and, in the se cond, whether the Legislature ought not to revise the Act of 1826 for the suppression of the small note currency ? The depression of trade is noto rious, anti the cause, as we have already stated, is equally allowed ; and when such is the case, why ought not the cause to be removed.—Morning Ad vertiser. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. GUILDHALL. A middle-aged couple, who gave their names Catherine Aaron and William Maxwell, were brought before Mr. Alderman ANSLEY yesterdAy-, for final examination, on suspicion of being common utterers of base coin. Sir. Field, the Mint Inspector, recognised both indivi duals as having been in custody before. The evidence against the prisoners was, that on Satur day evening the female prisoner tendered a bad shilling at the Acorn public-house, in Thames-street, but this being detected, it was bent and given back to her, and she paid for her glass of porter with a half-crown. She bit one of the shihings given to her in change, and then give it back as a bad one ; or rather, as the lad suspected who served her, she changed one of his good shillings for a bad one she had previously concealed in her mouth. The lad gave her a gcod shilling in exchange; but not satisfied with her success, she returned to the house a few minutes after she had quitted it, and insisted that the right amount of change had not been given to her, and laid clown, as the money which had been given to her, the bent bad shil ling she had tendered at first, and a few halfpence. Mr. Smith, the landlord, sent for an officer, an old• man, who asked leave to search her ; but her medesty would not al low this, and after running round the kitchen like a mad creature, she fell into a Pretended 'fir, and the landlord, who had left her and the old man to themselves, reentered the room. She was taken to the Compter, where she was searched by a female, and a little empty bag was found fastened to her stays; but she had no bad money. Upon searching the kitchen at the public•house, a paper containing 10 bad shillings was found thrown into a corner. The male prisoner was detained on suspicion, because he cime into the public-house twice for half pints of beer while the woman was there, and a bad shilling was found upon him. He bad also been observed in conversation with the woman before sheentered the house. All the bad shillings produced were of the same date-1816. The Mint Inspector thought the evidence was insufficient to warrant a Mint prosecution, - and Mr. Alderman Ansley therefore admonished and discharged them. BOW-STREET. Last night Edward Martelly, a young mnn of respect able appearance, was charged before Mr. HALLS, with having presented at the bank of Mes.irs. Coutts and Ca., a forged cheque for 2001. , purporting to be drawn by Mr. Hamlet, the jeweller. Mr. Charles Bolton, a clerk in the house of Messrs. Coutta, stated that at two o'clock that day the prisoner presented acbeque for payment, bearing the signature " T. Hamlet." Witness immediately knew that the signature was not that of Mr. Thomas H tittle, and consequently pronounced the cheque to he a forgery. He then asked the prisoner from whom he had received it. The prisoner pointed to the name of a Mr. Harlett in the body of the cheque. Witness asked, who Mr. Harlett was, and prisoner replied, " A gentleman at the door." Witness then said, " Do you live with Mr. Harlett?" to which prisoner answered " No." Witness then asked him it he knew Mr. Harlett, and prisoner replied that he did not. The witness then asked him how it was that a stranger should have given him a cheque to receive the amount ? He re plied to the effect, that he did not know how it had hap pened. Witness then said, " How are you to give him the money ?" He replied, " I was to take it to him at the door ;" and if he was not there, he was to take the money to Raymond's-buildings. The prisoner then told witness, that as he was going along the Strand, a gentle man stopped him and told him his handkerchief was hanging out of his pocket. Ile thanked him, and they fell into conversition, in the course of which the prisoner said he told the gentleman that he was out of a situation. The gentleman asked him what situation he had last lived in, observing that he knew of a situation that he thought would suit him. The prisoner then said that the gentle man requested him to step in and present this draught, and he (the gentleman) would wait outside, and that if he did not find him there, he was to take the amount to Ray mond's-buiklings. Being fully convinced that the signa ture to the cheque wee not in Mr. Hamlet's hand-writing, witness made known the circumstance to one of the part ners in the house, to Whom the prisoner repeated what he had told witness. A Bow-street officer was then sent for, and the prisoner was given into custody. Mr. taaa.i,s asked the witness if he believed that the prisoner ,peesee.ted the cheque for the purpose of defraud.. ing Messrs.- Coutta and Co. ? To which the witness re plied, that he believed such to be the case. Samuel Stevens, an officer of Bow-street, stated, that being sent for, he saw tie prisoner at Messrs. Coutts's, and asked him from whom he had received the cheque ? The prisoner told him the same story, almost word for word, that he had told the last witness, differing, how vier, in this particular,—that he said the name of the person from whom he had received the cheque was Ar!ett, instead of Harlett. 'The prisoner described this person as nearly six feet high, about 40 years of age, and dressed in a blue body coat.. Witness took th. prisoner to No, 6, Ray montl's-hulld;ngs, but no, such person as Harlett or Arlett lived there. At No. 5, however, witness saw the name of Harlett written upon the door as living on the second floor. On the door of the chamber, however, witness saw a board, stating that Mr. Harlett had removed to Jatnes street, Bedford-row ; upon inquiring respecting this Mr. Harlett, of the gentlemen who lived on the ground floor. they described him as a most respectable man, that he was not mare than 30 years of age, and very little taller than the pm ironer. Witness then brought the prisoner back to the office, and asked him where he lived. He replied in Brick -court, Fleet-street, in the house of a Mr. Elliott. Upon searching the prisoner, witness found two duplicates for handkerchiefs, pawned for 2s. each. He also found a letter upon his person, and a piece of paper, with the name of " T. Hamlet" written upon it several times. Mr.. FlAr.Ls asked if Mr. Hamlet were present, and ascertaining that he was not, he told the prisoner that he should remand him, but was ready to hear any explanation he might offer,—cautioning him, however, that lie stood charged with a very heavy offence, and to say nothing to criminate himself. The prisoner replied, that he had nothing t• Fay more than what he had already stated.—He was then remanded. On Tuesday John Herseley,driver of the hackney-coach, No. 216, appeared before Mr. Misstrum., to prefer a charge of assault against Captain Smith, a gentleman whose name is familiar with the public as connected with a charge of rape preferred against him by Jane Byrne, a young woman who hail lived in his service. The complainant stated, that the defendant hired him at the stand, Cornhill, and directed him to drive to Mellish's wharf, East India Docks. Here the defendant remain e d some time, and then the complainant drove him to a house in Hunter-street, Brunswkk-square, where he alighted, and asked the complainant what was the amount of his tare. The complainant said that his fare was 18s., and 2s. for expedition, according to agreement. The de fendant, however, refused to pay any thing, and began to abuse the complainant, using language so fool and disgust ing that it was unfit to repeat, and threatening to knock complainant's - head off, with a key which he held in his hand. The complainant then said, that he followed Captain Smith to his house, in Euston-place, Euston square, and, upon following him into the parlour, to demand his fare, the defendant closed the door, attacked him with his fists, and finally drove him out of the house without paying him. Mr. MiNsuct.t. asked if there was any witness to the assault. The complainant replied, that he had no person to bring forward who was present when the defendant struck him. The defendant denied the charge, and began a strain of abusive epithet'r in a tone not quite suited to the gravity of a court of justice. Mr. MINSHULL mildly reminded the defendant that be was not in a fit place to indulge in such remarks, and beg ged of him to speak in a more subdued tone. Defendant—Every word which this fellow has slid is false. Mr. MI.:SHULL—He i 8 o❑ his oath. Defendant—Oath ! Ile knows no more the nature of an with than a donkey. Ile (Mr. Smith) however knew the obligation of an oath from p tst experience, and he was ready to swear that the complainant's statement was utterly un true. The fact was, that the fellow demanded 255., and he defendant offered him 205., which he would not con sent to take. Complainant.—Upon my oath, the gentleman never of fered me any money at all ; and I swear I never demanded 28s. of him. The defendant insisted that his statement was correct, and wished the. Magistrate to entertain a counter charge, which he was desirous to prefer sigainst the complainant. Mr. MIN SliliLt-Let me dispose of one case first. You are charged with an assault, upon the oath of this man; I think it is proved, and you must, therefore, find bail. Defendant--Oh, I am provided with bail to soy amount you please. Two persons then stepped forward, and while Mr. Minshull was asking them the usual questions, the defend ant, who appeared considerably nettled at the result, ob served, " That fellow (pointing to the coachman) is as great a ruffian as any living- ; yet (looking towards the bench) he is not the only ruffian here." Mr. MiNsktur.r., who had overheard the observation, replied, with his usual calmness, '• I quite agree with you, Sir, that if this person is a ruffian, there are two present." The bail was then taken ; and the defendant said, if it cost him 500/. he would punish the fellow at the Sessions. Mr. MLBsitut.r.. advised the complainant to proceed for the recovery of his fare by a summons to the Court of Requests. Thomas Cooke was charged wi , h attempting to com mit a burglary at the house of Dr. Knox, of Adam-street, Adelphi. Cross, a constable of St. Martin's deposed, that he went to inspect the watch at two o'clock on the morning of Tuesday, and as he was proceeding along Adam-street he called out to the watchman, but received no answer, nor could he see a single watchman in the street. Six or seven men then rushed past him, running in the direction of Dr. Knox's house'. Witness struck at one of them with his staff, and knocked him down, and at the sante moment he (witness) was himself knocked down by a blow from an unseen hand. On getting up, he pursued the men, calling " Stop thief !" as loud as he could. The prisoner was taken into custody by a watchman, who met him almost out of breath with running. After lodging him in the watch-house, it was discovered Ly the witness and others, that an attempt had been made to enter Dr. Knox's house, by means of the parlour window; and as the family we, e out of town, there is but little doubt that an entrance would have been effected by the thieves, had they not been alarmed by the witness calling upon the watchman. Mr. MINSHULL, after commenting upon the conduct of the nightly watch in several recent instances, remanded the prisoner. QUEEN SQUARE. On Tuesday afternoon, at four o'clock, after the usual business at the Queen-square Police-office had been dis posed of, an investigation took place before Messts. W;iite, Gregorie, and Marriott, the Magistrat-s at this office, Dr. Coster), Mr. Allen, and Mr. Edward, three of the Prebendaries of the Cathedral, to inquire into the mysterious circumstances attending the late attempted con flatration of Westminster Abbey. Dr. Ireland, the Dean of Westminster, who vas in the country, had been sent for, but he did not arrive in time to attend the examina tion. A number of workmen employed about the building were in attendance the whole of the .day to be examined. 11 Hollicomb, the sacrist, and Mr. Carter, the clerk of the works, and several other gentlemen, were also present, and also the firemen from the different offices. Two Italians who were employed in modelling part of the building 'were also directed to attend. 'f he affair, whi c h h a d ga i ne d suc h p u :dicity, and was the general topic of conversation; was attempted to be made an affair of mystery, and we were astonished at be ing refused admittance into the office by the officers in at tendance, who informed us that it was a private investiga tion, and no persen could be admitted but those who were interested in the elucidation of the affair, which order, we have reason to believe, was not given by the Magistrates or gentlemen present ; but as we could not gain access to the bench, from whom we have invariaMy received every ac commodation, we cannot state it positively as a fact. The following was, however, what we collected to have taken place in the office : Mr. Cottinghant, the architect, exhibited drawings to the Magistrates explaining the intricacy of the different passages of the edifice, principally those about the building connected with Poet's-corner, which he expl tined, and from the plans it was considered impossible but that per sons well acquainted with the building could have made so daring an attempt, without being accustomed to the various ways of the Abbey. Mr. Hollicomb and Mr. Carter detailed to the Magi strates the hour at which time the workmen were admitted to the Abbey, which was from nine o'clock in the morn ing until six o'clock in the evening, when all the gates werromade securely fast, and the keys 'safely deposited. The two Italian modellers and a labourer, who were the employed in that part of th e b u ildi ng w h ere were next closely exa m i ne d, b ut not hi ng * only the p firee r o s c o c n u s r rt material was elicited to criminate any one. A number of workmen were also examir,ed who bad been for a considerable time employed about the Abbey, but on the day of the fire it was proved they were en gaged at a house in the Little CloiaterS. It appeared from further evidence, that any person who had got access to the Abbey , would find no difficulty in picking the locks in• King Henry %'H.', chapel, from their simple construction and drfcctive state. It is supposed they are upwards of two hundied years old, and from ever y appearance they seem to have been picked, particu larly at the door where it it, supposed the entrance was gained. Orders have since been given for nest , locks to be put on the doors of both aisles of Henry VlL's chapel: Mr. Carter stated, to some questions by the Magistrates, that the men who were employed modelling were not per mitted on any occasion either the use of fire or candle. It having been stated in the course of the examination, that footmarks were perceivable in a passage near the door where it is supposed that the incendiaries imist have enter ed, the stairs being indented with rough hob-hails, and marks of ironL•shod shoes, the shoes of most of the work men were inipected, but did not tally with the marks so described. Ono of the witnelsoe deposetl to fiodint a place of lead •—• nearly half a hundred weight, near the door at PoEt's-eor ner, which it is supposed had been taken from some part of the Abbey. Mr. Cottingham, the architect of Waterloo-road, being engaged to erect a new College at the Oxford University, had obtained leave from the authorities of the Cathedral, for his men to make plaster casts, from the curious and rare mouldings and cornices in one of the inner chapels, part of King Henry's Chapel, in which his men had been empinyeel some time, and also in taking models of different . devices in Westminster-hall for the rime work. The fire, it was stated, was first discoVered by Mr. Bel lamy, of the House of COMIIIOII3, who immediately gave in formation to Blackburn, a watchman, in St. Margaret's church-yard, who gave the alarin. The damage . , from the evidence of the firemen, was of the:most :trifling nature; but had it not been from the timely diScovery of the fire, there being such an immense quantity of wood, in an old and dry state, - the whole of this splendid edifice must have been destroyed. . . _ The whole of the persons examined were allowed to go at large, and the investigation terminated at lialf-pitst seven o'clock. Yesterday, at four o'clock, the investigation into the mysterious circumstances attending the fire at 'Westminster Abbey was resumed at this office, before the Magistrates, Messrs. WHITE, MARRIOTT, and GREGORIE, which was also attended by several of the Prebendaries, and other persons connected with the Cathedral. The interruption we received from the officers yesterday for admittance, we now star, were not directed by the Magistrates, but was an assumed power by the officers themselves. At the commencement of the investigation, our Reporter attempted to gain access, to be able to give an accurate report of the proceedings before the Magistrates; but he was again repulsed by Handley, who informed him, while hfilding the door, that it was a private, investigation, at which, by order of the Magistrates, no one could be pre sent. Having been deceived on a previous occasion as to the truth of this statement, he gained access to the bench, and asked Mr. White, who had just commenced examining Mr. Phillips, the late Clerk of the Works of the Abbey, whether he had any objection, or any other gentleman present, that the proceedings might be public. Mr. WHITE at first did not make any objection, and consulted the gentlemen on the bench whether they had e riy objection to our admittance, when we were informed by one of the Prebendaries, after some consideration, that they wished the evidence of the present witness to be pri vate, but any future proceedings the public were extremely welcome to hear. Mr. Phillips underwent a long examination, which lasted a considerable time. Suspicion at present attaches to no one individual, not withstanding all the air of mystery which is attempted to be made of this intended conflagration of Westminster Abbey. Front what we can learn in"the best informeA quarters, no opinion is entertained that this ancient edifice has been set on fire maliciously, for this reason—that in that case something of a combustible nature would have been found *by the persons who entered the Abbey so quickly after the fire was discovered, and, in fact, the mis chief done.. Although alarming at first, it is ascertained that twenty shillings would repair all the damage of the fire. Some trifling scenery belonging to the college plays, and a screen, the fire from which had communicated to the floor, are the only articles destroyed. A large quan tity of lead found at ,the bottom of one of the staircases leading to the northern transept, clearly indicates that the object of the villains who entered the building was the plunder of lead, and not the destruction of the Cathedral by fire. It is generally. supposed that the burglars had left a light in the northern transept, which set fire to the scenery, which caused their alarm ; and we have no doubt from what we have learned that the burglars, who must have been well acquainted with the Abbey, would take the. precaution of having a light with them. Several of the persons, who on the alarm being given, in attempting to gain the place where the fire existed, ran a narrow escape of their lives, as the way to it was so intricate. One circumstance is worth mentioning, which strongly proves that the villains were in the Abbey at the time the watchmen and others entered it ; for when Blackburn, who first gave the alarm, was ascending a staircase in his hurry, which was above the fire, a voice called to him, ". It is not here, Sir, you need not come ii r ," or words to that effect, and he immediately descended, thinking the voice came fi - om one of his party; but on after considera tion it was thought impossible. any one could have been there, except some person who had feloniously entered the Abbey, and in the confusion afterwards made his escape through a email side door, which is seldom used, near Poets' Corner. HATTON-GARDEN. Yesterday Simon Mosely, Rebecca (his wife), and George Martin, were brought before the Magistrates of this office (Messrs. LAING and Sitntox), under the autho rity of a warrant, charging them with.the csmmission of a most disgraceful outr,:ge and assault upon two young men, brothers, of the none of Wilson. William Wilson, one of the vimplainants, deposed, that as he and his brother were possing through Field-lane, Hol born, about half-past four o'clock the preceding afternoon, the defendant Martin, who was standing outside the shop of the other defendants, stopped him, and asked him if he wanted to purchase any thing. He replied that he did not, for he had already purchased some handkerchiefs in another shep. Martin that said, that perhaps be was in want of a good thrashing, and upon his replying. that he would not suffer him (Martin) to give it to him, the latter stripped off his coat, rushed at him, and struck him a vio lent blow. While he was defending himself from the at tack of Martin, be was struck several times with a large wooden bar, by Mrs. Mosely, who appeared more like a fury than a female. Blows fell upon him from all sides, anti he was ultimately knocked down. His hat fell off in the affray, and as he was rising from the ground he was fortunate enough to see it in the possession of a fellow who was in the act of running away with it. After regaining his hat, ke returned to the scene of riot, when be found his brother lying on the ground covered with blood. The defendant Martin had then his (witness's) brother's u;n brella in his hand, with which he was walking away. Witness ran for a constable, who quickly arrived and pre vented further outrage. Barnsley, the street,-keeper attached to Saffron-hill and its vicinity, stated that outrages similar to that with which the defendants stood charged, were of very frequent occurrence in Field-lane. Indeed, it was impossible for any person to pass through that lane without being in sulted in some way or another. Amongst the most dis• orderly of the inhabitants of Field-lane was the defendant Martin. The Magistrates consulted together for some time, when Mr. Laiwc said that his brother Magistrate and him self had come to the determination of sending the defen dants to the Sessions. The defendants were then held to bail. MARLBOROUGH-STREET. Yesterday Thomas Organ was charged before the Sit ting Al gistrates (Mr. CONANT and Mr. DYER), by George de Hochepied Larpent, Esq., of Putney, with having in troduced himself into his service as footman by Means of a false character, furnished him by John Oliver, otherwise Sir Charles Oliver, otherwise Captai❑ Armstrong, who for a similar offence was committed from this office on Friday last to the House of Correction. Mrs. Larpent, her brother, Mr. Wi'son, and Ballard, the officer, attended, and gave their evidence against the prisoner. It appeared that on the 18th March last, while Mrs. Larpent was residing with her brother in Montagu-square, the prisoner called upon her, and offered himself for the situation of footman then vacant. He referred for his cha racter to Sir Charles Oliver, Baronet, of Lincolnshire, who happened at the time to have been in town, and to have taken up liNresidence at Hatchett's Hotel, with whom he had lived in the capacity of footman during the two years preceding; but that now he was obliged to leave his service, in consequence of arrangements Sir Charles had made to travel to the Continent. He added that he lived five years before that with Lord Ashtown, who was very nearly allied to Sir Charles. Mrs. Larpent, in conse quence of these representations, had an interview with the pseudo Baronet the following day, and he with much ear nestness supported every thing the prisoner had previously stated to her, recommending hint as a diligent, sober, and honest servant, and saying that he regretted being under the necessity of parting with hini. Ales. Lar p,nt, without further hesitation, took the prisoner into her service, and he continued with her until the 20th instant, when, without any reasonable ground, he left her. He then applied for a situation to Mr. Alivart, who keeps a hotel in Lower Brook-street, and referred fur his character to Mr. Larpent, to whom he immediately went, and stating that Oliver (Sir Charles) had left the kingdom, requested him to give him a charac ter to Mr. ,Alivart, and Mr. Larpent agreed to do so, ap pointing the following day to meet Mr. Mivart at Mr. Wilson's residence, in Alontagu-square but Oliver's ap prehension and convictio n in the precioutt case having in the interim appeared in the newspapers, and given Mr. Larpent the first alarm that he had been grossly imposed upon by false representations, he sent to this office for Ballard, and measures were adopted for the prisoner's ap , prehension. The prisoner seemed also to have taken the alarm spread by the newspapers, for he did not make his appearance at the time appointed in 'Montagu-square, hot sent a ',Per there to inform Mr. Lerma. that he was going into the country. Ballard, however; being on the Alert, met the prisoner on Monday night going into Mivart's Hqtel; to see a Nobleman with whom he was just on. the point of engaging to accompany him to the Continent, and took him into custody, when he confessed that the whole was a cheat and a misrepresentation. He declared that he had never been in concert with Olive:, but that he had given him a sovereign. the usual fee, for his ratter. He had lived, he said, in the service of Cohinel Onslow, Lord Mhtown„ and the Hon. Edward St/inky. Mr. CoriANT observed, that the practice 'of giving am! obtaining false characters, must he met, in order to sup press it, with the utmost severity. Most of the robberies committed in gentlemen's houses had the w-ay paved to them by those means ; and, as an instance of it, he referred to a person now committed for trial, whe, by means of a false character, obtained a situation in the service of Sir William Beechey, and robbed him of plate of the value of 2001. The prisoner was fined in the penalty of 201., and in default of payment was committed for two months to the House of Correction, at hard labour. UNION-HALL. A tradesman, residing in Newington, named Byfield, attended at the office for the purpose of asking the Magis trate's advice relative to a mischievous report that was cir culated against him, and that was calculated to be of serious injury to him in his business. The applicant said, that he had resided for some years past in the neighbourhood of Newington, and never had a 1.1 ur on his character. Latterly, however, some individuals, envious of his prosperity, circulated a report throughout the place, that he was detected in the act f,f stealing two dead bodies, and taken to the office in custody, and was only liberated on condition of his delivering up the " sub jects," and paying a good round sum of money in the b irgain. Such a base report as this, said he, although without the least foundation, was actually considered by many to be founded in truth, and the consequence was, that the majority of his customers left off dealing with him, and the remainder were dropping off by degrees, and if some contradiction was not given to the rumour, he was confident that he should be obliged to shut up his shop. The applicant :hen appealed to the Magistrate as to the utter falsehood of his ever having been in custody at this office for an offence of the nature imputed to him by his neighbours. The Magistrate said that he never recollected having seen the applicant before, and the minute-book having been examined to ascertain whether such a charge had been en • tered, nothing of the kind appeared. The applicant then asked whether his slanderers could ngt be severely dealt with for propagating such a foul and calumnious report to his prejudice. The Magistrate said that he could not be assisted there, and advised him to apply to his solicitor, and if he.could ascertain the p arty who bad spread the report, an action would lie for slander and defamation of character. The applicant intimated his determination of following up the investigation into the affiir, and obtaining the names of the parties who had first circulated a report which tended to do him such incalculable injury. Having thanked the Magistrate, the applicant then withdrew. COURT OF ALDERMEN. LICENSING IN THE CITY. On Tuesday a Court of Aldermen was held, for the pur pose of taking into consideration the expediency of applying to Parliament to make such alterations in the new Licens ing Act, commonly called Mr. Estcourt's Act, as might be deemed necessary, in order to render the Act more available. A great deal has been stated, both by counsel and others, relative to the awkward manner in which this Act has been worded, and the awkward effect it would have, if in formers thought proper to avail themselves of the blunders which were considered to abound in the Act. Some days ago it was mentioned to the Lord Mayor, that the Act ap peared to be defective in every respect as it regarded the City of London, and that there was not a single Licensed Victualler in the City who was not daily subjecting him self to penalties by selling beer and spirits. This opinion was afterwards contradicted, and it was asserted that the Licensed Victuallers of the City, upwards of 700 in nutnber, were perfectly well satisfied with their licenses, and with Mr. Estcourt's Act, and desired no alteration or improve ment whatever. The Loanlavos, thus assailed with opinion on both sides, and being himself of opinion that the Act was got up, though with the brat intention in the world, with a yew small degree of skill or judgment, thought that the beat mode of proceeding on the subject would be,. to state before a Court of Aldermen the objections entertained against the new law, and leave it to the Court to decide upon the propriety of applying to Parliament. His Lordship, we understand, represented to the Court, that on the last licensing day the Licensing Act bad come under the consideration of the sitting Magistrates, and that au objection had been taken that notices had not been duly served. This objection held good, for it waseitund by the Act impossible to serve the notices as was by its provisions requited. Since that discover!, it had been stated that the Act itself was at the present moment in operation, and that the publicans of the city of London were every minute subjecting them-selves to penalties. If the Court should view the Act in the same light, his Lordship thought the most effectual means of protecting the licensed victuallers from the consequences of a violation of its pro visions would be by applying to Parliament. Alderman Woon said, that he had watched the Bill in its progress through Parliament in the most scrupulous manner. He had, in the Committee upon it, in -his anxiety to protect his fellow-citizens, proposed several clauses which he thought might give additional security to the Licensed Victuallers of London. Those clauses, how ever, were objected to, us Calculated to encumber the measure, to render it so involved and complex as would be likely to embarrass the Legislature. He found it neces sary to withdraw them, upon the general assurance and understanding, that the Bill, as it at present stood, would accomplish every thing required, and that any apparent omission or defect would be supplied by reference to the preceding measure, which was in such cases to have opera tion. He believed that the new Licensing Act was now in full operation, that the licenses obtained in the City of London were completely available, that no inconvenience could arise from the activity of informers, and the Licensed Victuallers might rest secure with regard to the appre hended invasion of their property. Alderman VENABLES considered the Act to be calculated to answer all the purposes intended. Ile did not see that it would be advisable for the Ctairt to interfere. This was the sentiment generally entertained in the Court on the.subject. Alderman Woon further stated, that Mr. Peel was pre cisely of opinion that the Act comprehended every thing meant and suggested by the framers, and never fur a moment-thought that it was questionable as to its efficacy in authorizing the sale of beer, spirits, &c. The Court then determined that the measure should re main in staLu quo undisturbed. It Appears that when it was publicly stated that the publicans were liable to penalties for selling beer, &c., by virtue of their licenses lately granted, Alder man Brpwn, who is solicitor to several of them, was consulted upon the question of their liability. His answer was, that there was - no need .of apprehension, that the Act and the licenses were perfectly corresponding with each other, and that the Magistrates could never de cide that there was any liability upon the part of the publi cans who should act conformably with the provisions. The Itxcoanea would have been willingly heard upon the subject, and several opportunities were given to him to declare his opinion. He, however, studiously avoided say ing a word. Whatever may be the just construction to be put upon the parts of the Act objected to, it is evident that the Licensed Victuallers of the city of London may rest satisfied that there is no danger to be dreaded from the activity of informers. The Aldermen will act to a man upon the con struction alluded to above, and as informers have always been discountenanced at the Mansion-house and Guildhall, even when they appeared upon an Act which had long been notoriously violated, it cannot be reasonably expected that they will run the hazard of expence upon the foundation of an Act which has thus been pronounced to be perfect. So effectually had all apprehension ceased, if any existed, amongst the publicans and tavern-keepers, that we did not notice one in waiting to learn the result of the discussion. It was, we are informed, the determination of. the Licensed Victuallers, if it had been determined to introduce a new Bill into Parliament, not to pay one farthing of the ex peaces incurred. A woman, well known by the farmers in this neighbourhood, and who has long been designated the Virgin, alias the Virgin Mary, alias Maiden Meg, was married on Monday after having been proclaimed six times in the course eight days. She was proclaimed to a cer tain individual on Sabbath the 12th three times; on the Monday morning she went off in a post. chaise fur Kirkaldy with another individual, to whom she had children, expecting that the episcopal minister there would perform the ceremony without certificate. In this, however, they. were disappointed ; they returned, and were proclaimed three times on Sabbath last, and on the following day the marriage was consummated, leaving the brat-made bride groom to eeek after another mate.—.. Fife Barak'. SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE. LIVEIiPOOL. . • • TUESDAY, ,APgIL eii; 29.—High wat.er 2 v o /six o'clock.—Wind North.--Arrired the ,14;44 / 0 1 lington, Roach, from A n t wer p ; J ong , ' 13PtrPlf 1 ti r ' 1 0 - 0 - 74. from Dordt ; T e ignmo u th, from Inverinfo; from Aberdeen. CLEARED OUTWARDS.-The Dolphin, •Vtifipy Newfoundland ; Ossian, , for St : .PO ll .. Vlyt, De Vries, fur Dordt ; Concordia, l'ilysor, kVA York ; Cyrus Butler, Putnam, for .. ditto ; —, f o r ditto ; Fredonia, Brown, for ditto.;,. tor vaart, Harkerns, for Dordt ; and Amity, Lower Canada. EAST INDIA. The Hon. Company's ship Wm. Fairlie, _BI3 't China, has arrive() in the Downs, sailed from ilieqc..2:4l, 24 ; arrived at the Cape Feb. 20, sailed the JlBthr Helena March 14. China—The Marquis of Huntley, George the Earl of Balcarras, and Macqueen, were the neXs be despatched from Canton. Ships at the Cape, Feb. 26.—Maidstoile and • and Arab transport, for Lond on ; Al m nlO ura, fr 01 177;, ,the Joshua, fur England ; and the Georgianit, South Wales. SW Ships at St. Helena, March 14.—The 1: ' and tender Little Bear, the Medina, and Bussorik chant, and the Alacrity, for London. Arrivals at St. Helena.—The Success, Smith, 0 Cape, March 6th ; Barbara, Du nn , 'f ro th ditt o , Orkql,S l' . a 7 t ir, Peruvian, Viverus, from Bourbon, th e 10th ; from the west coast of Africa ; and Bussorah g.f.r,ol° from Batavia, the 10th. • Sailings from St. Helena.—The Wilhrlmina and 0.. for Holland, M a rch 6th ; V asco d e G ama , •N e eilan., o • le i ning, the 7th, for ditto ; B ar b ara , D unn , on the OTi t h, Liverpool ; and his M a j es ty' s s hip H e li c - m , on il3 Ol for England. fOr Sailings from the Cape.—The Norden, Burr'tor Tranquebar, on the 24th Feb. ; and Prince liege" Portsmouth, 25th. The Cornwall, from Bengal, has arrived in the D am. : sailed about 15th Jan. The Ellen, Patterson, from the Mauritius, has 0 1 off Plymouth ; sailed from thence the 16th Jan. THE MARKETS. COAL 111Aftl 268.6 d. Boundary Moor 25 0 Gray's Steam Loal ..... 23 6 Holywell 22 0 Ord's Redhugh 21 0 Pelaw .....27 3 Percy East 25 0 Tanfield Lea-. 26 6 WallsEndßewicke&Co. 31 6 Ditto Bmwrb 28 6 Ditto Hilda 27 0 Ditto 27 6 Ditto Northumberland 28 0 Ditto Peareth 25 6 Ditto Perkins and Co. 27 3 Ditto Wilds 30 3 Ships at market, 47 ET.—April 29. • 3 17 ,. Walls e:nd Newrnare l3 .• si 6 Ditto !tuners .3 1 4 Ditto Walker ~.....••••••". as p Walls End Hetton..•••.^' 3 g 0 Walls End Lainbton.....,.. Walls End Stevrart's T o .0 Hartley Silkstone Field and C°. g g 6 Tantield i g 0 iletton small 1 4 Russ - 11's small 10 .6 Hebburn small 10 0, Walls End small 1 1- 4' Beaumont 11 '0 Heaton ••••••" jo O. Northumberland small 1 5. , ps sold, 351%-Uniulo COUNTRY CORN MARKETS DURING THE VBl3-//1. Wheat. I Barley. I Oats. Per Quarter. s. to a. a. to a. a. to 4. s'• • Abingdon----. 57 SS i 29 39 21 33 f 4 1 , Andover...---- '74 •37 25 •-• Birmingham...— 72 82 32 36 24 36 •" 5 6 ' Bridpprt 56 74 32 ' 39 26 34 Cirencester 64 81 34 ST 21 26 4 " . 48 Faringdon----, 54 86 j 36 40 26 38 " Guildford 49 74 j 3O 36 24 34 Henley Hereford 64 84 38 45 36 40 56 Highworth «....., 62 80 32 42 28 34 4 1 , Maidenhead 55 88 29 33 21 Si ""- - Oakingham 56 76 30 36 jlB 32 " 4.„ Reading 60 85 28 37 21 33 , Salisbury 80 84 34 41 24 . 34 , Southampton 54 78 37 40 28 32 ""' Stroud Tewkesbury .—.— 65 87 40 42 30 38 •••• ' '4. Uxbridge 55 88 30 so 20 32 "", , 4 4 Wantage.----.... 57 85 28 37 19 - 31 Warminster ....... 50 88 :+8 is 24 96 4 Windsor —.......... 58 78 30 37 24 30 Worcester--. 80 ES 36 44 27 30 CHELTENHAM MARKET.—ApriI 28. ' Per_Bushel. s. d. to s. d. Pet lb. Wheat Barley 5 3 Mutton . ........ 8 • A Oats CHELTENHAM .—April 2-- 8 - 41..1!.' 9 0 Per_Bushel. s. d. to s. d. :el lb. „, , Wheat Oats Barley 0 5 0 Veal Beans ... -01 . ,. 4 9 5 0 Laud, ..... .... ... . ...- . a . Pease 5 0 8 0 Pork Hay 31. 108. to 31. 15s. pet 10n.... 7 -7. , -.. LEWES MARKET'.—AV -61 2 : to As isi 0" Red White Wheat (per quarter ). vX3 10 ,- is. $ •.' ditto 3 8 . ••• -Sv n, Barley Oats, New 1 8 0 .1 s ft i Pease ll5 0 • 1 -- agL / Oil Cake, New l2 0 Oper tiltKi HULL MARKET.—APriI2B. ~ . - • The supply of farmers' Wheat to this day's markethal,y, limited, and the best parcels were taken of by the sullen i t last week's prices ; secondary parcels" met bnlY . a 610 * au __4o l We have had more inquiry during the 'wee k -rot' fine pinuls foreign, which ate not very plentiful, and' the holden! g •_;,i-of are firm for this 'quality ; the middling runs, and Old t 54 in much demand, but the prices of last week are Mai4T+' d and there appears to be more confidence in the tra de( the part of buyer and seller, than has been apparent foT:r Oats je!. week's back. Very little passing in either erriii, r; prices without alteration. Barley, even of the be' fm ow mains in the same dull and lifeless state that we„. 0 01 11. t° last ; we do not, therefore, alter our quotationi• - • 1 " - ,_..%ricfet. 21. per last lower. Linseed in limited demand at ' 11 .• r 60 0 . lau Wheat, Old in N a c ll rf o . r Bc F s ee u d i —s. 12a. las. 665. 725. —5....... New _,, ....5..."‘ ---- Foreign —s. 70s. 735. ......In bond... --_,,* er g, Oats, Poland —s. 20s. 245. 01d......... " 7— .... e Foreign —s. 225. 24s ... 3 -5 45. 3r 263 e: 31 6 .. F L o in re e' igti :s' l.!. 7l .... d . -.4 : 4 : g 1 if 819. 4.' ." : . — Barley: Foreign Beans Pease, White —s 40s. 12s. Grey 71 Taros —9 345. 365. Foreign.. ..,.... 28s. „,,„ Or• Rapeseed. in bond none. Free, per last . ..-1- •"--. ....-- ',. . . DUMFRIES MARKETS.—ApriI AL ,1; ; 14 s. d. s. d. POP ij q Wheat, Imp. Bush 8 6to 8 9 Butter, 1602.. . . ......... . ~,,! I% Barley 4 6 4 9 Eggs, dozen ........ ... . 4 ,•, i .. 4_ll Oats 2 6 3 0 Beef, per 1b........... . ;9- 0 5 Flour. 141 b. Oatmeal 2 3 2 4 Veal ... . .... Potatoes, cwt. Carrut.—We had a large show of Beasts at market t0,,,, 0 ° . it consisted of 780, but thereater part Were , in .bad cO7 the sales that fere made were at a decline of IL market per bead. •%04 We have seldom seen the In such a languid taw - • $5, PILLAU, APRIL 16.—At present tneiL to s only eight feet water on the bar ; it is, however;'.! l not, that as soon as the ice in the liaff commences driei o ls - that a favourable change will take place; etberseisei,ed of the large ships lying here ready for sea will lie ob P .! • , b ' o to discharge their cargoes. ot On Tuesday, SUSAN HAMMOND, gir, . 6 1 0, 16 years of age, servant to Mr. Muatroito, of Ferees t near Bishop's Stortford, drowned herself, having cused of pilfering 2d. Her body was shortly afar to discovered, but, life was extinct. It was coßiflr" Staasted workhouse, to await the Coroner's Inqueste, Faunas and Pt/BLINKED BIURDO YOU NO P _ ' 0 OFFICr, 112, 61 , 11ARD, 1.144 , 0 744 • BIRTHS. VA.* . On the 25th inst., the lady of William Garforth , of Wigantliorpe, in the. county of York, of a eon an d 7 t i e r. At Clifton, the lady of Sir E. Poore, Bart., of a datif;oo- In Queen-street, Brompton, the lady of Lieut.-e w Disbrowe, G:enadier Guards, of a daughter. rernsra At Calwich Abbey, Staffordshire, the lady of ""- Granville, - Esq., of a daughter. tht On the 26th inst., in Suffolk-square, Cheltenlastra, lady of Captain William Henry Foy, of a son. ef On the 28th inst., at the East India C o llege, the the Rev. -H. G. Keene, of a son. John At St. Leonard's Cottage, near Exeter, the tau,' 0 Tyrrell, Esq., barrister, of a son. sest9 At Ringutore, near Teignmoutb, the lady of J. sherd, Esq., of a son. MARRIED. yield, On the 28th inst., at Brighton, John Wilmer y of Esq., of Heaton-hall and H e lmsley-lod ge , in the O un c' o p• York, to Isabella Helena Salter, daughter of the late tain Elliott Salter, R.N. , st ir, On the 29th inst., at St. Ann's Chur c h, Westm ol by the Rev. Dr. M'Cloud, Mr. Christopher WonseY / 114 son of Mr. C. Lucas, of Kingsdown, B r istol, to Jane,'. Bailey, only daughter of Mr. William Bailey, of Loge°le• On the 28th inst., at Great Houghton, by the •-ote IL Williams, Frederick Orlehar, Esq., son of th e , tp Richard Orlehar, Esq., of Ileniwicke House, 8e`..1.•:,41 Anne, daughter of the late Stephen Round, Esq., d Beech Hill, Berks. d Te d " At St. George's, Hanover-square, Henry Cow 00 of Plymouth, Esq., to Maria, second daughter of the Colonel Robertson. • DIED. At Dryhurgh Abbey, on the.l9th April, the Right, t he David Stuart Erskine, Earl of Buchan, &c. 87th year of his age, greatly and justly lamented. t he On the 28th inst., at his house in Grosvenor-street' Right lion. Lord Crewe, in the 87th year of his age• o n, On the 28th inst., Mary,-the wife of John Bl`C u ' Esq., At L of G nco ordon-placDrummond,9o iln, Mrs. Christiana Drummond, in th e • year of her age. • . 0 to A. F. C. Kolltnann, Esq., forty.six years org anic his Majesty's Gt rmau Chapel, St. James's-palact....oool