The Sun. — London, England, 1824-11-26 00:00:00

r stockades, tlefe,ndedby six or seven times their - force, and • that in the face of what has been ascertained to be the main' bOdy of the enemy in this part of the country, amounting :to about seven thousand men, I need not, I trust, endeavoy to speak in praise of the gallant band I had that day the hondur to command. • Indeed I feel that nothing I might say could in adequate terms do 'them justice. Every man appeared to feel and act as if the honour of his country, and the success of the enterprise, depended upon his own personal conduct and exertions. The enemy left three hundred dead in the stockades • and adjacent &kis, and I hope the nature of the contest will not admit of our loss being considered great, although soma valuable O ffi cers and men have been lost to the service, among whom I have to regret Lieutenant Alexander Howard, o' the 13th Light Infantry, killed, and Lieutenants Michel. and • O'Halloran, of his Majesty's 311tli regiment, very severely wouirded, each having since lost a leg by amputation. After ear - lying the stockades, -I drew up my small force and remained ,an hour in front of the Burmese army, . which . even then, al • though late in the day.and ten miles from Inane; I would have impletriately attacked, had I seen any prospect of bringing them into action, but a forward movement on ouryart at once Wis. fit:El me of their intention to retreat into the jungle had we ap proached them. During the whole. of this day, as on ewry other occasion since we landed, I received the most" aide assistance from Brigadier -11mnd Macbean. To him, my Adjutant. General, Lieut.- Colonel Tidy, antl . the Officers of my , personal Staff my best 'thanks are clue. At daY-light next morning, I detached Brigadier-General Macbean with two regiments and some camel howitzers to en. deayour to fall in with the enemy on the same ground he had occupied in the preceding day, .but on arriving there not a man was to be seen, even some stockades were found evacuated and abandoned, and from the observations of the Brigadier-General and others, I have , reason to believe the slaughter of the enemy on the day preceding must have been even greater than that al rettdy stated. • Diming the night of the 2fith, a picquet posted In front of the great Dagon Pagoda was repeatedly fired upon from-the jungle in their post., and from the noise of •toices heard, it was conclud- td that theLiinemy was there in some force. The light company -of his Majesty's sfith regiment" was in consequence ordered to the front at day-light to reconnoitre, and at no great distance came upon a strong masked stockade. With Captain Piper at their head, they charged and carried in their usual gallant style, the enemy leaving 21 men dead on the field ; on our 'part only five men were wounded. On the 29th I detached Lieut.-Colonel ,Godwin, of the 41st regiment, with a small force against Iluain. He found the place totally deserted, and too insignificant and unimportant to merit further notice. lie returned here next day. I have. &c. • A. CAMPBELL, Brig.-Gen. P.S. Herewith I have the honour to inclose a return of the lolled and wounded in the different aiTairs with-the enemy since the 21st up to the alit inclusive. - A. C. General Return of Killed, 'Wounded, anti Missing, of the Troops composing the Expedition under •the Command of Briglulier.Oeneral Sir A. Campbell, K.C.13., serving against the. Dominions of the King of A va : His Majesty's 13th Light Infantry-1' Lieutenant killed; 1 bught-anti 9 rank and file wounded; 1 bugler and 1 private . since dicd of their wounds. Ills Majesty's 36th Foot-2 rank and file killed'; 2 Lieutenants, 2 serjeants, and I 5 rank anti file wounded; 2 privates since died of their wounds • • Ist itattalion 9th Native Infantry--1 serjean.t or havildar, and ti rank and file wounded • 1 private since died of his wounds. Battalion lOth Native Infantry—Vrank and file wounded. .Ilia :Majesty's 13th Light In fantry--:Nanie of the Officer killed, Lieut. Alexander Howard: , fl is Ilfajesty's 33th foot-- Names of Officers wounded, Lieu. tenants George Michell and Edward O'Halloran; the for mer suffered amputation of the right leg end severely wound. ed in the left ; the latter' suffered amputation of the left leg. 1 seaman of the lion. Company's cruiser Telgnmouth killed, whilst sounding. F. 'I'IDY, Lieut.-Col. D. A. 0 ' Copy of a Report from Major %rehab ton Brigadier-General • Sir A. Campbell, K.C.8., datedon board the Heroine, 211th )fay, 1024. Sir—ln conformity to the instructions. I had the honour of receiving from you, the three ships thereby ordered separated from the fleet on the sth inst., and on the evening of the 11th anchored off'Pagoda Point near Negrais. • On the morning of the 12th we again got und er we i g h, an d with some difficulty got in the river, and at noon anchored off the middle of the island. Towards four, p.m., boats were seen snaking from . ) the northern part of the island towards the main jamb I desired Capt. Coodridge to get the ships under weigh immediately, and I got the troops on board the Heroine ready • for landing, having previously got the flat bottom boat launch. ed for that purpose. Accordingly about sunset I landed with a party of troops, and having gone over the northern extremity without seeing any one. I returned towards the point where honied. Two companies having landed by this time, I directed guards and sentries to .be posted in varmint directions for Its security and returned to. my ship. On the following morning at daylight, two parties (pte viously warned for this fluty) one under the command of' Capt. Ogilvie, composed of the troops on hoard the Carron, was di. rected to explore and licarch the Island from the Southward ; • the other under Captain Tod, of four companies from the Heroine, to proceed along the foot of the hill until he met with •Capt. Ogilv i e. The latter party, after six hours of indiscribable labour - through an almost impenetable jungle, and up to their middle in water, returned without being able to see or discover any thing. The former, after, .searching the, southern side of the island, came up by its eastern side and joines at sunset; the atilt of the troops landed at its northern extremity, with the same success, and without discovering it single spring of fresh water or habitation of any kind. Front the above survey it is evident that the island of Negrals is perfectly barren, and covered with an almost impenetrable jungle anti deep inlets of salt water, not pi oducing any article of subsistence fin- troops. The only spot is in the northern exkremhy of it, where the jungle has been cleared away suffi. &tidy to build a few fishermen's huts, without any signs of •:ca:tivation. Under these circumstances, it became necessary to search for some place where supplies of provisions might be procured for the nubsistence of the troops destined to keep possession of the island. With this view, I crossed over to the main land, with .a partrof troops, and, accompanied by two or three Officers, , proceeded in search of some village ; after sailing up near ten niiles, we came to a village, whence, on seeing us, the inhabi •-tants began to fly; but as it was my desire to conciliate them as • . much as possible, I made them understand by signs (not hay. . ing any one to interpret), that we should not molest them, and . directing the Sepoys to keep at a littl e distance, I proceeded to . the village with the other Officers. The inhabitants, after a little, seemed pleased at our visit, and those that fled, began to return with their families and goods, and we made them un derstand by signs, that w e w i s h e d to have provision, for which we would pay in money s they appeared satisfied, and as well as we could understand, said they would bring us provisions of WI kinds. • Under as idea that these people would be induced to bring , supplies of provisions to the troops destined 'to keep possession .of the island, without whi c h t h e y cou ld not possibly remain long there, its there was only a few weeks supply on board, I • directed five companies to be disembarked, with their baggage, and directed the two ships, that were to return with me, to corn . plete their water as quick as possible. The next evening a number of people . were seen collected at a point on the main land, opposite to the island, ab out fi ve Miles distant, but thinking that they came out of curiosity, I - took no further notice of them, than ordering a .strict look out ..to hue kept towards them. The following days were occupied in completing the water of the two ships ; hat on the morning of the•l7th, observing the numbers collected on the opposite side to be very considerable, and continually increasing, and that they were accom p an i e d by boats of a large description, I considered that their • inten tions could be nolonger deemed peaceable, and as I discovered that a stockade hed been thrown up, I ordered immediately two companies, under Lieut Stedman, to embark in boats and: cross over to the main laud, and three other companies, under Captain Ogilvie, for their support, to embark on the return of the boats, there being only five capable of conveying troops, and that not above 250 men at a time. Accordingly they were emberked about noon, but the wind a n d current were so much against them, it being flood tido, that they were earl* away four miles beyond the point, I intended to land them at, and were brought close to where the stockade had been constructed ; fortunately the boats reached the same place nearly at the same ' time, Lieutenant Stedman having colleeted them and formed them in order, he found there was no tithe to be 10st in wait. ing for the party under Ceptain Ogilvie,and he determined to attack them immediately with the party that had already landed, and on his advance the enemi opened their gluts upon him. Lieut. Stedman's letter, which, I have the honour to inclose, will explain the result and success. of his attack. The leeatly conduct ef die troops, employetton this occasion, the celerity of their :avarice, and steadiness of their lire, seem . to have sh a k en the courage of the enemy • and, on the troops Innetradng the stockade by en °perks which fOrtunately had net been completed, thane enemy leaving every thin g tied .0 the .iitmost disorder, behind them ; the rotit Most complete, . they lied in the utmeet -cautery • amen in every, direetittn ; tllyy . must have suffered severely as they were collected in volt nitm hns to the innettnt of about eight hundred, within NOWA an -enclosure.. There were six found dead the followingmOrnitig at a little distance from the stockade ; our loss considering the exposed situation of the men was Anal', being one killed and five wounded, the Jemidar died during the night. The troops took possession of ten or twelve guns, brass and iron,iif various calibres ; muskets., spears, and bows, without number, from forty to fitly boats, some of a -very large descrip tion, with a quantity of gunpowder and balls &c. The guns have been taken on board the cripser Mercury, and all other articles were egmpletely destroyed. The island of NegralS is a barren desert covered with an im• penetrable jungle, and the low part towards the southlard, seems to be covered with saltwater; at the northern extremity is a hill, with an oldpagoda upon it, and at the foot of it to the • westward is a small Hat covered with jungle, where it has been safficiently cleared only to erect a few fishermen's huts, and it has no signs of cultivation. It is evident from the desolate appearance of the island, that it has never been considered by the Burman Government as a place of any importance, nor can it he.Macle defensible by them, nor is there a village within ten, miles of it on the main land.--I have, &c. .1. WAHAB, Major, • Commanding the 12th Madras Native Light Infantry. Copy ot a.Report from Lieutenant Stedman, to. the Officer conimandiv 2d Battalion 17 th Regiment, dated on board the Heroine, 1 th May, 1824.' • SIR-I have the honour to report that, agreeable to orders of yesterday's date, I crossed the river, and landed with the three companies detailed to accompany me, at about three o'clock, and within three quarters of a mile of the eucmy, whose ap. *ranee before teaching the shore, left me little doubt as to their intention of opposing our approach beyond the spot on which it was •evident they had strongly stockaded themselves. As the day was too far advanced to expect any reinforcement under Captain Ogilvie, and as our situation, from not knowing the strength of the Birmans, did not ensure success against them, I determined to detain the boats that brought us, in case it might be necessary to retreat to the ship, at the same time ordering the companies (all of whom landed nearly at the same mo ment) to follow the advance guard at the distance of fifty pace. We had proceeded but a short space, when I observed the guard in advance to halt, and I received intimation that they were already close under a breast-work of the enemy, sur. rounded with guns, which the thick jungle along the beach had prevented my observing, or indeed any of the party in advance till very close to it. Delay, however, under any circumstances„ wag to he avoided, and us I had made up my mind to return their tire the instant they commenced it. I pushed on, desiring the advance to join their companies, and having -loaded, re turned their first shot from cannon and small arms, with a vol ley, which was followed up by a charge and an incessant fire' on them from the rear companies for the space of ten minutes, when the breastworks, with guns complete, was ours, and all our attention was directed to the stockade itself, in which, at this period, at least 700 armed men were observable. Provi dentially for us an opening to the right of the stockade from the breast-work had not been completed, into which we con. tinued to pour our fire with such success, that the enemy were observed to decamp with the greatest precipitation, leaving us their cannon, and indeed every thing they were possessed of; a list of which, with a return of killed and wounded, will be found in the margin.* I cannot conclude this report without expressing my entire approbation of the conduct of all con. cerned on this occasion, for to all I feel my best acknow ledgments are due, though were I to particularize the services of Lieutenants Lindsay, Haig, and Hutchings, were such as to entitle them to praise more valuable than mine. Our loss is so trifling, when I consider the means the enemy had of annoying us, that it can only be atributed to their fire being directed too high. I have, Ste. J. C. STEDIII.AN, Lieut. commanding Detachment, 2d Bat t .l7th Reg. of C. L. I. Copy of a Report from Captain Goodridge commanding the 'cruizer Mercury, to Brigadier-G e n era l ' Sir A. Campbell, K.C.8., dated off Rangoon, May 27, 1124. Sir—l have the honour to report the arrival at this anchorage, of the Ilonourable Company's cruizer Mercury, under my command, to await your further orders, and to acquaint you in compliance with the instructions received from Commodore Grant, of his Majesty's Royal Navy, I effected the purpose on the 12th May, P.m. for which 1 was directed to accompany Major Wallah, of the .17th Madras Native Infantry, to the island of Negrais, on which • a party was landed by Major and the British flag hoisted without opposition. On the 16th our attention was called to a collection of men and boats on the opposite side of the river; a party was sent, accompanied by the Mercury, which produced a letter from the •Governor of Bassine. On the 17th a stockade was, perceived, of some extent and strength, var. We weighed anchor in company with a party of troops. dt half Past four anchored off the stockade, the party having previously landed from all the boats procurable. At five r.sr. the Binnans opened an indifferent fire on the troops, when I comm ence d along range shot, and after tiring a foe rounds from our long guns, the troops marched into the stockade without further opposition, on winch occasion I have to report the capture of twenty-eight boats (all of which were destroyed), and fourteen pieces of small cannon. • The island of Negrais is confined to about six miles in cir rirnferenee, extending N.E. and S.W. On the S.W. end, there is a plain of some extent covered with grass, on which I saw a number of catt l e, and enclosures for a very small quan. tity of rico ; the hills and other parts are quite woody ; no run of water_ was discovered, but confined to wells they are ca pable of producing a great deal with a little attention. The entrance into Negrais harbour I considered difficult, and only to be effected with great precaution ; the channel being extremely narrow, it is quite secure front all winds; the river beyond that to Bassine is, from my own observations, and what I have since collected, clear and safe front the island to Bassine.—l have the honour to be, &c. R. GOODRIDGE, Captain H. C. C. Mercury. • Extract from a Dispatch front Brigadier-General Sir Archibald Campbell, dated 4th June, 1024. On the 2d instant I received information that the enemy had assembled in great force, and were stockading themselves at Kemmendine, intending to attack our lines, and that the mes ,aengert who had been sent in, were as I suspected, spies, I theretbre ordered ' two strong columns of reconnoissance fr om the yludras division to move on the following morning upon two roads leading from the great Dagon Pagoda to the village of Kemmendine, the right column under the command of Lieut.- Colonel Hodgson, the other under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Smith, proceeding myself up the Rangoon River with two of the Honourable Company's cruizers and three compa nies of the 41st Regiment, for the purpose of observing th e enemy's force, and making a diversion in favour of an y attack which might be made by land. In the course of two hours we were abreast of the enemy's encampment. The troops landed and burnt every hut to the ground, brought away one war bout and destroyed another, carried off an 18-pound carro. nade, all without the least annoyance from the enemy, who either fled into the jungle or retired into a very large stockade, which I observed close by, and front which some guns were fired, killing and wounding a few men. In the coarse of the morning the two columns, coming down from the Great Dagon Pagoda, met close to the stockade of Kemmendine, just alluded to, 'and an effort was made to enter it, which, I hays no doubt would have succeeded but for the occurrence of some mistake; and as the attack was never in any way persevered in, I do not 'much regret the result, as it will tend to lull our crafty foe into a security that may soon prove fatal to him. I am anxiously employed in preparing transport for the future progress of the expedition. We have already captured 50 or 60 large cargo boats, which are getting cut down and made more manageable, and are calculated, on an average, to carry a complement of 60 men each. The second embarkation from Madras, consisting of his Ma jesty's 89th regiment, and two battalions of native infantry, has arrived in the river. • List of killed and wounded, with a detachment of the 2d battalion 17th regiment, or C.L. I. under the command of Lieu tenant Stedman.-1 jemidar, 1 sepoy killed ; 2 naigues, 2 se pays wounded. List of stores taken ami destroyed by a detachment of the 2d battalion 17th regiment, or C.L.I. under the command of Lieu tenant Stedman-10 pieces of ordinance, of different calibre ; between 80 and 60 boats, containing rice and military storm RANGOON PAGODA. LExtract of a Lctler from Rangoon, dated July 4.) " 41 . informed you in my last of our success here; I have now to mention, that on the 12th of May we sent a party to take possession of the. great Pagoda, about two miles from the town, in which they were successful. Two guns planted on the top of the steps leading to,the Pagoda were repeatedly fired at the party without effect, being pointed too high. This Pagoda, and the grounds about it, are now crowded with European in fantry and artillery, being one principal post without the town, which is guarded chiefly by the Madras Sepoys. Th e s ce n es which now occur at t hi s extensive and gorgeous temple are sin- Ogularly odd and amusing. For want of quarters, th e m en an d Officers Thrust themselves into every . little shrine anti niche, some of which . are sufficiently capacious to admit a table, a chair, or a cot.; others serve as receptacles for boots and shoes, beef and biscuit. Round th e nec k o f one divinity, hi suspended a belt and bayonet, while another.has its.hip full of knapsacks and cartridges. The ears of others offer convenient pegs for hats, and, in short never Were a set of poor deities so meanly employed or so familiarly treated. The great tlaudnia in par ticular has his hands full of business, an d much charge of,old clothes. Much as I had heard of this Pagoda, it far exceeded my expectations in extent and splendour, as well as in the rich ness and delicacy of the ornaments and earved work. In the human figure only the execution is very defective.: THE INDIAN PERIODICAL PRESS. The Calcutta Meath* Journal is one of the most interesting periodtgai 'works published.in the City of Palaces. Its miscellaneous matter, and the wit, talent, and humour, which are dis played in its columns, by its various corre spondents, renders it an agreeable and acceptable ,present to the British Public, for bringing within a moderate compass every passing event in India. The contest between the Etonian and a VVy kamist, in the last number we have received, as to the relative character of these two distin: guished ROYAL Seminaries for learning and man ners, amused us exceedingly, and the balls given to Lady Amherst in February and Mardi last, notwithstanding the near approach of the Bur ' mess, with the superb dresses of the Ladies and Gentlemen, and the elegant suppers and the energetic speeches of the Presidents and Stewards, given after the Banquet, must afford to the Old Asiatics in Great Britain the recollections of their early years and the gg splendid days," which are gone never to return. As a specimen of the humour which pervades some of the Cal cutta Journals, we have made the following ex tract from one of March last :-- " Calcutta ought to have hs n ame c h ange d. I nstea d o f b e i ng called the city of Palaces, it should he denominated the city of Poets. Parnassus is no longer the hauntof the Muses; they have fled to Calcutta, and the Hooey has become the Castalian stream. The readers of the India Gazette cannot but have observed,' long ere now, the,coplousness and variety of the poetic talent which has adorned, said to this hour continues to embellish, its pages. Glad are we that our paper has been made the channel of such marvellous effusions of genius. Like the rustic, men 'tioned by Horace, we have at times supposed that the poetic stream would run itself' otit—but no Labitur et labetur in omne volubilis revum. Whenever we could do so without trenching upon what matter-of-fact readers would call more important matter—we have hung the matchless jewels of Original Poetry in the Ethiop's ears of our journal. Numerous, however, as were the unutterably admirable poetic gems which we have admitted, they are but few in comparison with the many, many unspeak ably exquisite productions, which we have been compelled by bitter necessity to reject. Notwithstanding this, we trust that the poets of Calcutta, down from the immortal Crane to that Phoenix who warbled in our last as A Lover of Liberty, will confess that we have ever shewn the utmost readiness to act the part of a humble janitor in the temple of fame. They will do Its the justice to say, that our Lion's Mouth, if it has not spoken, has at least looked these words,' Walk in ladies and gentlemen.' Accordinly walk in they do—witness that, department of our sheets usually headed Original Poetry—and original it is at least; that the most cynical dog in the kennels of criticism must grant. " Yea, this is truly the Augustan age in Calcutta.. In walking the streets 'tis ten to one but the observer stumbles against a poet every ten yards. In Wellington.square, parti cularly, poets do so abound that straw ought to be scattered along the pathways leading through it, and in and out of it, so as to prevent the rattling of chariots and buggies, the creaking of hackeries, and the trampling of horses, from disturbing the heavenly meditations of the Inspired inhabitants, and the ac couchment of ideas. Fire in each eye, and papers in each hand, They rave, recite, and madden round the land ! As wit begets wit, so poetry begets poetry. In our last, the hovEtt OF LIBERTY blew such a tremendous blast of inapt ration, that Calcutta to her centre shook ; and in our present number comes a YOUTH FILOM WELLINGTON -SQUARE, giving blast for blast, rhyme (for reason we had almost said) for rhyme, and euphony for euphony. Of them it may truly he said that they are Arcades mho. Mae ! that liberty should peep about under the huge legs of despotism to find herself a dishonourable grave, while such poets live in our times, and light the gloom or shake the spheres of the present . age with the lighning Hashes of their genius, and the thunder claps of their inspiration!" . And an-allusion to the same subject, we select the folloicing specimen of the poetic talent of Calcutta:— " TO THII EDITOR OF TILE INDIA GAZETTE. Mn. Etwroa—PrUm your paper of Thursday last, I had the satisfaction to peruse •the sublime enbsions of a Lover of Liberty. Pardon me, mighty Poet, whoever thou art, that I have presumed to offend the maids of Helicon by so indecent an action, but if Air. Editor considers the following lines worthy of a place in his paper, I sincerely hope that they will wipe away theimpruden, and avert the wrath of avenging m em ory iiceb4 o B,f f my rom imprudence, A YOUTH IN WELLINOTON.SQUARE. I Wide o'er the world, War shakes his crimson steel In Freedom's cause,—what vital drop* distil l Her gen'rous sons, for valour long renown`d, With reeking weapons, clasp the bloody ground; The shouts of triumph, or the gleam of arms, No more shall rouse them to war's loud alarms Lost and o'erwhelm'd by lux'ry'a pow'rful wave, Their fame disgrace, their portion in the grave. Thus on a lonely cliff neath Cynthia's beam, Halls's genius pour'd the mournful theme; From rock to rock the echoing notes rebound, Thy poet, India ! cau g h t t h e p l a i nt i ve sound. Lo. is Gazettes appears his Roman soul, And wronged Hispania crowns the amnie whole. Illustrious bard ! thy breast with freedom fled, And all the muse's energy inspir'd ; Oh sing Europa's haughty tyrant's fall, Britannia's glory, and the vanquished (Mul ; War's Gorgons' horrors, vict'ry's joyful shout, The dying groan, the wide extended rout ; The British thunder grumbling thro' the skies, The widow's sorrows, and the orphan's cries. Or if heroic canto please thee more, Let Hyder's armies blacken all the shore; His sable legions in confusion 'ltalia, Sink to the chambers of the nether world ; There in fierce flames, the pathos of thy strain, May sooth their torments and allay their pain. Oh then, begin not, let prolong'd delay Deprive them of a single happy day.— Hell's king with wakened vengeance may demand His ravish'il sceptre at thy hostile hand : But he—e'en he who sways the dark profound, Must vanquisli'd own thy lyre's persuasive sound ; And starting front his sable throne of night, Trembling and faint, give up the unequal fight ; While on thy brows, triumphant wreathes shall smile, Tu hail thy emerald of the British Isle." LITERARY NOVELTIES.—The following inte resting Works are announced for early publica tion, viz.:—A Second Series of High -ways and By-ways, or Tales of the Road-side, by a Walk ing Gantleman..—The Last Moments of Napoleon, by Dr. ANTOMMARCIII.—A Second Series of Say. ings and Doings.--The Spirit of the Age, or Contemporary Portraits.—The concluding Vo lume of Napoleon's Own Memoirs.—And the Private Journal of Madame Campan. LORD BYRON'S CONVERSATIONS. — TiI O Lite.. rary Public will be glad to hear that the new Edition of this interesting Work, though very beautifully got up, is printed in a more com pressed form than its predecessors, and is there fore published at so moderate a price as to be within the purchase of all the reading classes. The property of the unfortunate Mrs. Cum.'. toar), otherwi se DowATTY, whose dreadful murder excited such honor about three years since, bas been divided by direc. don of the Lords of the Treasury between two females who declared themselves near of kin to tier, and the relatives of the late Mr. Donatty, with whom she gohabited, and from whom by will she derived it at his death. REMOVAL OF THE PUISONIF:RB.—This day th e prisoners who stand committed on charges of felony, were removed from the several gaols i n the City of London and County of Middlese x , to Newgate, Pre p ar atory to their standing th e i r trials sa m t commence o nextthe e Thursday TOl ds d ßay naileey Sessions, whi c h will co next, the 2d of De cember. FRENCH PAPERS. ( From the Etoik, dated Wednesday, Nov. 24. MADRID, Nov. 18.—The King and all the Royal Family are still at the Escurial.' Yesterday is funeral service fur the repose of the soul of his Majesty Louit XVIII. was celebrated in the Royal Church of SL Isidore. . The King, unwilling that any of the services which were ren dered him during the reign of crime should remain unt:ecom penned, and impatient to testify his Royal gratitude to such of his faithful subjects ashave.combated.the perfidious enemiesof the altar and the throne, orders that every individual who thinks he has a title to his favours, shall present . within one Month his claim. A Royal Ordinance orders the Camara to make a strict search after persons who, enjoying ecclesiastical benefices, still continue to wear the secular habit. His Majesty decrees that in this matter the Canons of the Council of Trent be taken as a rule. . The Minister of War has transmitted to the Director-General of the Artillery the orders of his Majesty, that the number of workmen shall be increased in all the manufactories of arms, and especially in those at Oviedo and Co r un na . G e n era l Don Juan Downie has been mentioned with particular praise in the Madrid Gazette, for having displayed extraordinary zeal and activity in the organization of the Royal Volunteers of the pro vince of Andalusia. • BUCHAREST, OCT. 17.—The Court of the Prince, which is the house that has the least to fear from the plague of any in Walachia, manifests very serious alarms. The Hospodar (Mika takes the greatest precautions. lie has notified to the Boyars, that those among them who may wish to return to the country with their families, are at liberty to do so. 190.—Only two new cases are spoken of—one of them doubt ful. Achmet Aga, commander of the Turks, has placed four sentinels at the door of the Metropolitan. 20th.—One or two new cases are vaguely spoken of, 21st.—No case. 22d and 23d.—No case. PARIS, Nov. 23.—The Emperor of Russia arrived at his palace of Zarakojeselo in the evening of the 4th of Nov. His Imperial Mljesty is in excellent health. The hereditary Prince of Saxe-Weimar and the Grand Duchess Maria, his consort, arrived with their children at Gatschina the same day : the Em press Maria went to the third stage to meet h er d aug h ter . Th e Empress Elizabeth, who has been ill of a cold and fever,,ia bet. to day, and seems to be recovered. Fit . :ec it Ft! NI7B.—PA n Nov. 23..-(From the Etoik.l Five per Cents. opened at 101 f. 50c. ; closed at 60c.—Neapc tan Bonds in sterling, 911.—Royal Spanish Loan, 54i. Bank Stock, 1,965. EDINBURGH, Nov. 23. CONVENTION OF ROYAL BURGHS. Yesterday, an extraordinary Meeting of the Convention of Royal Burghs was held in the• Council Chamber here, to take under consideration the propriety of the Conven tion granting a sum to defray the ex - pence of an action of decla rator and reduction raised at the instance of the Officers of State, for reducing and setting aside all elections, Bc.c. made in theburghs of Brechin and Dundee since 1820. On the motion of Mr. BURNESS; delegate from Montrose, the Lotto PROVOST of Edinburgh was unanimously called-to the. Chair. On a commission being read from Pittenweem, the language of which designated its representative as" one of the managers" of the burgh, it was objected to as informal. The Delegate for Montrose, observed, that as the burgh had become , disfranchised, their political rights were also lost, and it was the duty of the Convention to stop all appearance of ii. regularity. • Wzradat4 IxaLie , Esq. the Commissioner for Dingwall, thought that as the Court of Session had granted authority to certain individuals to superintend the patrimonial interests of the burgesses of Pittenweem, and as this was a case in which those interests might be materially affected, it would be better to allow the gentl e m an to s i t and deliberate. Be was not, how. ever, prepared to say whether or not his vote should - be sus tained in the case of a narrow division. Mr. C. INN ES, the delegate for Queensferry, was against the receiving of the commission. He held it to be quite irregular. Mr. IvOllY, delegate for Elgin, seconded Mr. Inglis's sug gestion. Mr. IstsrEs wished to know if a commission so worded had ever before been presented to the Convention. The Loan PROVOST of EDINRITROR said, that this he believed was the first instance of a commission being sent from a burgh in the situation of Pittenweem. The Commissioner was allowed to sit and deliberate, leaving the question of the validity of his vote to be afterwards discussed if nece4sary. Mr. ImiEs thought it was sanctioning a bad precedent. WILLIA3I BELL, Esq.' Commissioner for Jedburgh, sug gested the appointment of a Committee on a subject of great importance, particularly to the eastern burghs. He understood that something was to be done to facilitate the communication between London and Edi n b urg h. It w as proposed to accele rate, the course of th e ma il, so as to ma k e it arr i ve a t s ix o ' c lo c k. Now, he understood that, with a little arrangement, it might be made to arrive at twelve. This would be a great advantage to Edinburgh and the towns to the north. A Committee was appointed accordingly: The Clerk then read the reasons contained in the summons by the Officers of State against Brechin. 'The conclusions in it were, that all elections, warrants, &c. since the alteration in the set was made by the Convention Oere null and void. Also, that the Convention possessed no power to alter or modify the set of any burgh. . Mr. BURNESS, the delegate for Montrose, then rose.—He stated that this appeared to him to be a question of vital im portance, not only to the Burghs of Brechin and Dundee, but to the whole Royal Burghs of Scotland. They were now, after having exercised certain rights for a period of 300 years, to have these wrested from them. The power of the Conven tion to grant and regulate sets of Burghs, had never before been challenged.. The present actions were the offspring of a report of a Committee of the House of Commons, published in 1821. He did not mean to say that the report had been the cause of the actions of.reduction ; but they had been the consequence of the opinions expressed by the Committee of that Honour able House. There was no man more attached to the constitu tion of his country, or one who would bow more readily than himself to an decision of that Honourable House, though be would ever deny its infallibility. The Burghs were attacked, by this report, in a manner at once severe and unmerited ; and he fondly hoped, among so many able r ave e M ember it was no of Con vention learned men, sonic one would have been found t o re p e l calum ny.wonde hadr, therefore,the e courage r that the or the assertions; Time, however, h a d rolled on, and no one h a d ventured to Officers of State should wi s h to ext i ngu i sh altogether those powers, dispro ve wers,which no Mb patriotism to defend. And what was it we were called upon 'to defend ? was it not one of the most venerable institutions of our country—the rights and privileges of (10 Royal Burghs—and 50,000 burgesses. The Convention had, in fact, been arraigned, tried, condemned, a nd was go i ng to b e execute d , without being allowed to call one evidence in its own defence. Nay, what was more remarkable, it had been tried and condemned without an accuser. It waiireally singular, that while the whole of the burgh complaints are classed under 8 heads—.not one of which goes to Impugn the Convention, nor does a single complaint appear against it from one out of 50,000 burgesses ; yet, by a sweepirig condemnation, the Convention w a s a bout to be an nihilated. He would take a lance of the representatives of the burghs, and he would ask them individually, if, as far as they knew, the acts of the Convention had ever been pre judicial to the interest of the burghs in general. He need liardly tell this Convention, that all the sixty-six burghs of Scotland, with the exception of Edinburgh and Kilrenny, de. rived their charters from the Convention. Yet, among the' whole sixty-six, there was no such thing as one general set to he found. In 1469, the Act of the Scottish Parliament esta blishing the Itoyal Burghs, was passed by James the Third.— That Act was quite in accordance with the spirit of the times —it being passed for the sole purpose of crushing the power of the Aristocracy. The Act ordained that the Magis trates and Council of each burgh should be chosen annually. Our ancestors never dreamed of the old electing the new magis trates; that discovery was reserved for latter times,—when the same men, by a right about face movement, appeared in dif ferent states, like the phases of the moon. The statute 14871 proved that the magistrates of the burghs should . be cleated from the worthiest of the indwellers in the burgh. That act also contained the clause constituting the Convention—so within a few years after the burghs were emancipated, it was found ne cessary to grant them a con troulling power. The first Convention met at Inverkeithing on St. James's day, and was constituted a chamber of trade and commerce, as well as a tribunal to which the burghs could appeal in cases of difficulty in matters regard. ing their political rights. The words" good rule," &c. could only apply to political rights—for in civil disputes there were other tribunals already in existence—and for the general muni cipal regulations of the burgh, at large. The very terms of that statute imply a power to grant, as well as to regulate, setts of burgs ; also to alter as well as grant . In 1552 , it is well known that the Convention issued a general sett for all the burghs in. Scotland, with theexception of Edinburgh. That he Would esta blish by the dictum of Wight, whom the Report .of the House of Commons allowed to be the4best authority extant on burgh affairs. The author states that some of the burghs are regu. laced by laws from the Convention, others by usage, which was equally binding till altered by Convention. Surely if the Convention had the power to originate setts of burghs, it had also power to alter and amend them in every case, excepting Edinburgh, whose set had been framed on a discreet.arbitral with the consent of all the parties, and arranged by King James and Lord Islay, afterwards the Duke of Argyll. T he powers of the Convent ion were ratified 30 years after the gene 4 ral sett had been issued to the burghs, and completely recog nised. In the reign of that great stickler for prerogative , J ames IV., the Council of Aberdeen were in actual rebellion against that Monarch until the strong hand of the Convention made all right again. Even at that time, the Convention thrust upon that Monarch a constitution for Aberdeen; and not a word wag, then said as to their want of powers. At the Revolution these powers were again recognised and acknowledged : nothing war then done touching their Interests beyond the displacing of the nominees of King James. The treaty of Union . provides that nothing in it should alter or impair the privilege of - the burghs, unless something in their usages were contrary to the law of the land. After the Union, down to the'year 1768, th e Convention proceeded to alter and regulate the setts o f burg hs again and again, unchallenged, without their. . so doing be. ing in any way considered as illegal. Mr. B. particularly noticed each case after that period down to 1001, when an alteration took - place in the sett of the burgh of alai gow. In reference to the case of Edinburgh. in 177 8 , he said, he believed that it had served as an ignas fatigue to lead people astray ; but a little attention to the interlocutor in that case would show that it was not a general quertion, for it only stated that the Convention had no power to alter the sett of Me burgh i. e. the burgh of Edinburgh—not that It h a d no power to alter the sett of a burgh, that would have been a very different finding indeed. The report of the House of Coin mons was in direct oppositiOn to the law and the usage of the country. It was also a singular fact that the Committe e vlh° took the evidence came to no decision, while a Committee who had led no evidence, decided on the evidenc e of a former the Con Committee After o ft f er sh ie e sd Hou ing se a o par f c t ons of m t o h i e ls_ evi t d h e e nc o e oly l ed evi l f ri o c r e c t which related to the Convention, and which was in 41 e irc a opposition to the conclusions in the report---}lr: 13. prom , . 1 % to state, that if the action was successful in thu case of Brecht.. rnd Dundee, sway goes Aberdeen, Haddingto, &c. ik.e.- 4 ." the burghs whose sets have been muenticdby ale 'oa vett tl'n must be disfranchizml. If the Convention fals, .so aullf children. The her. and all her brood wield _Frisitkr, l t ' a n te f ,,. sweep. He did not mean to blame the °Wel l ' ' the course they had adopted, they had only to do Convention and :as they had done so, it also became the Con first attacked theirs manfully. Brechin and Dundee were where the,. they had fled to the citadel of the Convention i . ' Ousted to find good men and true , to fight their tutiVs.olotiom, Mr. Du lINESS concluded by moving a defend ° 'he ictieo which went to pledge the Convention to the Stott e which had been raised at the instance of the Officers f S to 'e the That 5001. should be levied from the burghs " e " ding re vided stent.roll of the burghs; and that such other sum belpigsue. as may be necessary to carry on the progress to a fin fi u stletu These resolutions were seconded by the Provost o . _, it to be understood, that In case the whole sum The LORD PROVOST of EDINBURGH said he WiSn e " done their duty : be required in defending this action, be deducted from the missive dues. Mr. Bugle of it being duced to give up the action, when they . „ s eeable' aware able eresk defended ; hut he was too well aware of the disagree a con ing of the wheels of law, not to know that it require:. _ ova Siderable aunt to keep them in grease; and cause them '" smoothly. . of the re " The PROVOST of Aberdeen objected to tha t part ~ io f t he solutions which pledged the Convention to the tlefentnei, burgh action now raised against Ilrechin. lie thought every. • Ess hoped that the Of of State might be . . in: ought to defend its own actions. for with was WIIITEFORD 31‘KENZIE, Comm igioller , men w idi whom he generally acted. It always appeared was sorry to di ff er on this occasion from those gen4 n r t h a t the thatofth to ge nu s conoet ne 5 e o b o o /. :oh;u1 w d o l o ! Convention was more for eneouragement of wide" a bombs* than for other purposes: The power of altering sets_.,,, s od he held only to be vested in King, Lords, and Comktf„7' e sher if such authority was allowed to be exercised 1 4 I:7l;equal body, God knows where it might eventually end. lie„ e coven. 17 hostle.to the powers of the Privy Council AA to Ci s Iron. In that opinion he was borne out by one 0 i ,,, a lsiitted writers on burgh law-... Mr. Archbald Fletcher. ;Pe „ d o, leo that in the cue of disfranchised burghs, there mig a nr:_; Alit priety, be one i ronercti allowand then ro.2l.rwood n ot return to their fo state ; for in that the Act 3 . l; e nron ediege be infringed ; but he would set his face against ". ' that appeared to trench on that ACt. resolution The PROVOST of ABERDEEN was hostile to the generally, and moved the prev i ous question. of roost The PROVOST of PEAT! c agreed in the views °' of Mr. Aberdeen. en t of Yr' I VORY, at great length, supported the arb" - ,„m a Burnes& o n o follow% Mr. Gismos; CRAIG, CORIBIiSsiORCT for Culrors, e , .„,„,tic , in nearly the same train of reasoning. Herodilltain dr ie ; t i o n in good would be derived front the discussion of tbe tel i m t. the courts of law, even though the action was ul tin „ ut et t *The Commissioner for 'Glasgow said he wad W a instse r " generally supported grants of money. though in olio was he would do so, because he, conceived that th e g li • ono which ought to be tried. ca id t hat !I': Mr. BuRNESs craved the liberty to reply. 11° 1 i iicutn'A Convention was now the last remnants a the, ° i tot afein - Parliament, who, when it ceased to exist, ha". __ . „.,..1t s'el h its im p s o el w f, ers s , co in tia re l t i p x :r k d in t g O burghs, to the Conventron.c.......-31 now, in fact, the last remnant of Scottish lodgefini'Ved to that remained to Scotland of olden time' en rttly s finh de uo as a once free and independent state. Thls' B of the Cenw say, was the unkindliest cut of all. The rights and paltry sum of 5001. ; 3 No; about to give up, without dstoruwgngleuralnl thrithw.cisr l i t n . o ft t r t i i .db lu e rh :t , , ell . tion were to be sacrificed. for the esses. * n ot , with them the rights and. privileges of 50,000 burf w ould he would not have the Convention so to shrink-ne * s o el o lidd r w ot i .lA t lA l 1 wile a b h as s e a r ti r r d n a g eac ess m eflonl a wed, o t B n o w, man would yield his rights : he wished to stand heir iihtrlio, and if we tell, let all fall like men fi ghting fur ""- , „ p ee, ~ ; , that for sueh4 bo ldly, lution, 30; for the previous question, moved by Elie t a ve ie. rite Provost of Aberdeen also objected to the 6 , obt Avest i° ,, rl solutions, and the sixth, which went to pledge "' e l. n ci ecess a t: to support an appeal to the House of Lods, t sots so was withdrawn it being left to the CoMm ittee ° J steps as they shall see cause. mion bs . 1 ,,.._ a .3lr. C. Inness said, he understood that the ' moved to be not been cited on this action ; that fact he cu be i' good preliminary objection. n Melt is t o lord After the appointment of a Committee, w- 0 the -'O, open one, the thanks of the Covention was voted i toi j o arn Provost for his conduct in the chair, and the Meeting —( Edinburgh Observer.) . fi tirsaipetpylfreo:vgfoosrplforte.ditnnu.o.. ..ridrorvets:::; , witho u tien to . :t.whithde?ennbfroamattwchmkoeesreof Scotsmen CONSECRATION OF ALI; SOULS ell LANGHAIII.PLACE. [FURTHER PAR.TICULAOS•J• Ch°r Ch The first impression on entering b e aant tbse j ea was that its architecture was more chaste stl r ' e e lv t ber, rta i l o l,l7 usually seen in such edifices. The ornaments o a f la ce d ate and unobtrusive, and the whole has an eff% t desirable. Direc tly opposite to the middle door,,Bt aisle is THE ALT A R, covere d w ith crimson ve, embroidered ; the ch a irs a re carved in the Gothic:l/0070 in the centre of the b ac k s i s a mitre. Above,il the , su , b o j ca and ' impressive ALTAR -PIECE, by VlTY.irev, CHRIST CROWNED WITH T H ORNS. ere cu t eis• , appears meek and suffering, surrounded by 10$ for H_e looks up to Heaven as entreating forgiven e l s tree d 1 1 1,11 , taken oppressors. This fine scriptural picturels ye it, tr y arch, and a crimson curtain is tastefully arrange u l A has ing in graceful folds on either side. ' The wil °4 i n all l' t ,:;! , striking effect from the centre aisle, and is wells er l , „ t opi of the Church. The circumstance of the desk ,f l _, with 48. placed on each side of the aisle, exactly corresir°a"lorea'l,:i.. other ? is excellent, and imparts an unusual de re , - a liA o and elegance.—At about half-past eleven the nishopeptexed 0 . 4 followed by twelve Clergymen in their rohe!tberside.,, Church, eight mace-bearers being arrat'el° ll „ e r i oen in,tor , ten or twelve Gentlemen with wands. * 1 ne `_Pe o eunl l be struck up and played until the Bishop entered the to o bic and an address was read by one of the ciergroh p , doo made responses. The Bishop then , walked the C W T aisle, reading appropriate sentences, followeu g eng• the men and the Mace Bearers, when an anthem ', before t o Bishop again entered the Communion, and standultujoisio Altar, read a prayer, in which he consecrated ri"! On t o, the service of GOD. The common church serv i ;ivsos A t he read in an impressive manner by the Rev. live ra,klor and a most appropriate and excellent Nerviest Is t c 0 7 0,0 Rev. SpEiou. The text was taken from tn.„ yor of the Prophecy of Malachi, and the 11th verle' the otael o cc the rising of the sun, even to the going down °di in eve name shall be great among the Gentiles, a!) are o ' l ,Ol incense shall be offered unto my nam e, and a the for my name shall be great among the heathen', pishof, was of Hosts." At the conclusion of the sermon tue..,002:00 vered a blessing on the congregation, and tile ? R OO . 1 , thus concluded.—The necessity of introducing. e 0 0 0 7 English Churches precludes the possibility of . , la pn 'apis,, c 4 ,4ll lemnity which is the case on entering the Cnnu n n - i n eerraroir worship. There is something in the eye gasingld e eodent on the vaulted roof more suited to the feeling: the lighter architecture of the &WIWI Char • 01 On lid, r ef , Pre It ti grit ,ithlf