The Sun. — London, England, 1825-12-22 00:00:00

EAST INDIA HOUSE. Yesterday a General Court of Proprietors was held at the East India House. CAMPBELL MA.. JoainANKs, Esq. Chairman : Sir G. A. RowN sox, Deputy Chairman. HALE-VEARLY DIVIDEND. The CHAIRMAN stated that • the Court of Directors had come to a resolution of paying a dividend of five and quarter per cent., for the half-year commencing in July, 1825. Mr. HUME wished to know from the HMI ! Chairman if that -4ividend was founded upon, and arose out of the commercial .rofita. of _the Company ? • Notwithstanding the mystery in which it was the policy of the Directors to involve the affairs of the Bengal Government, it was stilt sufficiently notorious that their Expenditure for the present year had exceeded their income, in consequence of . the ruinous war now carrying on so unneces by that Government. He, therefore repeated his wish to. know from what sources the dividend of the present half year was derived, and also whether there was any and what surplus ? The CHAIRMAN said, it was well known that the dividends must arise out of the commercial profits of the Company. An • • -account of that dividend was submitted every half year to Par . liarnent, from which the lion. Proprietor would obtain the in-' formation he required. Mr. Hu ME said, that the last account which had been laid: 'before Parliament was only for the past year. -• The CHAIRMAN said, that some delay must necessarily in tervene between the arrival of the balance sheet from India and laying it before the Court of Proprietors. When that balance . sheet was prepared, it should bp laid before them. Mr. Hums: expressed his dissatisfaction that the Hon. Chairman had not thought fit to give a more explicit answer to his question. When they considered the evils which had - resulted from a want of confidence in this country, he need need not impress upon the minds of the Proprietors the abso lute necessity there was for avoiding similar evils in India, by laying before the Proprietors a statement of the affairs of she Company, and thus relieving the public mind at once from' -any apprehension of its stability. It had for years been the. -custom' to make up the balance sheet in India, on the 30th of April. Unless that custom had been departed from in the . present instance, he thought there was ample time to have. had that balance sheet forthcoming. • The DEPUTY CHAIRMAN said, that the Court was already .in possession of the balance sheet up to May, 1024 ; that to May, 1825, he believed was on board the Larkin. The motion was then agreed to. GRANT . TO mit ARNOIT. The CHAIRMAN moved, that the grant or 1,8001. which had been awarded to Mr. Arnott at the last General Court, should be confirmed. Mr. RANDLE JACKSON said, that he. had been absent when this question had been discussed upon a former occasion, or he • would not, as far as he was concerned, have allowed it to pass .ra3 silentio. He approved most cordially of the grant which the Company, under the influence of feelings highly honour ' able to themselves, had made to a suffering individual. lie did not wish' to enter into the merits of Mr. Arnott's case, much less to discuss the question of the freedom of the press in India, although no man was a greater advocate of a free press than himself. To that blessing we owed every.- thing that was Valuable to us, and not to uphold the Liberty of the Press was not to he an Englishman.-, On the other hand, however, .he was an enemy to the licen tiousness of the Press, and was well aware that it required occasionally to be kept within proper bounds. On the pre sent occasion ; he saw no,necessity for entering into so wide a His approval of the grant to Mr. Arnott was founded upon motives, in which all who heard him syould participate, Muse of eynripathy for the individual. Mr. D. KINNAI4D said that he seldom had heard a laboured eulogium pronounced upon the benefits to be derived from the freedom of the Press, that it was not followed by some measure hostile to that very freedom which it professed to uphold. Upon the present occasion, he differed entirely with his Hon. Friend who spoke last. Ile (Mr. D. Kinnaird) approved of the grant -,to Mr. Arnott, not as a boon conferred upon him by their gene „rusity, but as a compensation for grievous and cruel injuries in liicted upon him by the Governor-General (Lord Amherst) and. the Bengal .Government.—( Hear, bear !)---He thought it a wan ton and unnecessary aggravation of the miseries which Mr. A. had already been made to suffer to tell him now when they were doling out to him a measure of tardy justice, that he was to consider it not as a compensation for injuries inflicted, and that instead of claiming it as a right, he was to be indebted for it to their compassion. He thought nothing could be less fair than this ungracious Manner of repairing an act of gross injustice. Dr. Gir.can approved 'of the grant, because he conceived that tardy justice was better than none at all. Had Mr. Arnott, however, hada Scotch cousin amongst the Directors—(as laugh) ehis wrongs, he was certain, would have been sooner redressed, .and The amount of compensation Which he would have.to receive Would be much larger. Ruling, as the Company did, over a mighty Empire, there - was nothing which they should so care 'fully guard against as acts of injustice, even eowards the mean est of their subjects. A Persian poet had so well expressed him self upon this subject that he (Dr. G.) would, with the permis sion of the Court, quote a_ few lines from him. (The worthy Doctor then, in a sonorous voice, and with proper emphasis, re.: ,pasted the line.S.t6 which he alluded, in the original Persian, to the great apparent satisfaction of those who understood him.)— For the benefit of occidental Gentlemen, he would give them a translation of those adMirable lines.. They were supposed to be addressed by a Persian PrinCii(who, although a despot himself, seemed to understand the value of liberty) to his son. Should'et thou desire a monument, my. son, Of fortune's smiles on earth, injustice shun : With patience hear the poorest who complain . • Lest those- oppressed invoke thy name in vain. Proud 'tyran ts here, man's JUDGE SUPREME will try, And spurn them too, when suppliants, from the sky.' Mr. Humes could not allow the present question to pass without deprecating in the strongest language the syStematie cruelty and oppression of which. Mr. Arnott had been the vic tim. He had been seized by the order of Lord Amherst, dragged by a military guard (and this, too, under a Civil Go vernrnent) to prison, where he would have languished, perhaps, till now, or till death had put an end to hie sufferings, had it not been for the interference of the Chief Justice, Sir Francis M‘Naghten, who declared his arrest illegal and unjust, and forced the military tyrant to restore him to liberty. He then wen; to a foreign Colony, in the vain hope that he would there' Ise secure from oppression ; but in this _hope he was mistaken, for he was seized, put on board a ship going to England by the circuitous and unhealthy route of Bencoolen, when there were twenty-five ships in the harbour bound directly for this country. Wit y was he sent to Bencoolen, a place where felons and con victs were transported, and which was so unhealthy that it was almost a miracle that his life had been preserved there! Why did the Bengal Government pay 800 rupees for his passage in the ship ,Fame, when he was entitled to a free passage ? One or two acts of the Marquis of Hastings had been seized on to form matter of accusation against him ; but this was only one •out of fifty of the oppressive and arbitrary acts committed by • Lord Amherst with impunity, and without animadversion. Mr. LowernEs did not think that a free press was at all suited-to the climate of India. In hot climates, to use a French expresssion, " la tete monte ' " and it was difficult to keep the imagination in proper bounds. That this must be the case was .evident to those who considered in what alarming excesses the press of this country, notwithstanding its cold climate and mo. derate Government, had lately indulged. The Hon. Proprietor then entered into a long history of the evils which had, in his opinion, resulted from the encouragement given to stock job .hing and speculations of various sorts by the press. The very distresses under which the country at that moment laboured, and which came too home to them all to. need further allusion, had been created and aggravated by a portion of that press. If', then, in this country, under a popular Government, such evils flowed from the liberty of the press, was it not natural, under similar circumstances, to anticipate much greater evils in India, where the government, it was well known., was not so very po pular, and where there were so many discontented spirits ready to take advantage of any alarm. The Hon. Proprietor, after some further observations, expressed his cordial concurrence in the vote to Mr. Arnott. The resolution was then confirmed, lIINUOSTANEE LANGUAGE. . The CIfitIRM A N said, that the Court had been made special for the purpose of hearing two distinct propositions to be sub mitted to them by three lion. Proprietors (Mr. Hume, Mr. D. Kinnaird, and Dr. Gilchrist). The first was, that all cadets should in future previously to their going out to India, acquire a knowledge. of the Hindostanee language; and the second was for an inquiry into the case of Mr. J. S. Buckinghrun. With respect to the first proposition, as it was intended (we under stood the Hon. Chairman to say) on the next Court day to dis cuss the propriety of confirming a resolution which imposed upon officers in the Civil Service the necessity of being ac quainted;-with Hindostanee before they embarked, it would perhaps save the time of the Court, if both positions were dis cussed together. Air. Hums assented, with an understanding that his propo sition, although discussed upon the same day, was to be consi dered distinct from that alluded to by the Hon. Chairman, and was to stand or fall by its own merits. MOTION volt THE RECALL •OF LORD AMHERST- MR. BUCKINGHAM. The CARAIRIICAN was then going to put the question respect ing Mr. Buckingham when HagE said, that before the cage of Mr. Buckingham aulesiod o he felt it his duty to submit to the Coat another question, which, without meaning to undervalue the import ance of that gentleman's case, was of infinitely more moment to the Proprietors and to the country at large, than any in stance, however great, of individual hardship or oppression. He alluded to the conduct of the Governor-General himself.— (1Icar:!)---He was sorry that in introducing - this important qnestion to their notice, that be should' have to, complain of a t svant of courtesy, if not 'a denial of justice, upon the part of 'the Court of Directors. It was well known - that there were four General Courts of Proprietors held within the year, at each of which it was competent for any Proprietor, without previous notice, to originate any motion which he pleased. But it had always been the practice, at least 'during the 18 years in which he had been a Proprietor, previously. to send to the Directors a notice of any particular motion, which notice it had been the uniform custom of the- Directors hitherto to advertise in the public papers. He (Mr. Hume) had some time since sent in notices of three distinct propositions, the two which had been just disposed of, .and the third calling for the recal of Lord Amherst. The two former the Directors had thought proper to advertise. With ,respect however to the third, he bad received a letter from the Chairman, conveying to him thedetermination of the Directors not to advertise it, but informing him (Mr. Hume) that he-might notwithstanding, if he pleased, bring forward his proposition at the General Court, there being no necessity that it should be made special for that purpose. He now called upon the Hon. Chairman to explain why he had chosen to deviate from the practice of his prede crotorit, and to account,. if he could, for conduct which he (Mr. Hume) could not help thinking was as illegal as it was uncourteous. The CHATit MAX, disclaimed the intention of any want of courtesy towards the lion. Proprietor, on the part of himself and his brother Directors. They had, however, a duty to per form to the great body of their constituents, and that duty they conceived had been best fulfilled by declining to comply with his request. When they considered the high and important station which *as filled by Lord Amherst, and tharduous war in which he was now engaged, they did not wish to embarrass his operations, by having it go forth to the seat of his Govern-I ment,-that he was to be put on his trial at home: Under this impression the Court of Directors had taken upon themselves the respoUsibility of not acceding to the lion. Gentleman's re quest, and they were perfectly ready to submit the :propriety of their conduct in this instance to the good sense of the Court of Proprietors.—(Hear, hear!) Sir C. Fotinrs rose for the purPose of saying, that under standing that the , conduct of. Lord Amherst was to be brought under the consideration of the Court, he had tra. 'veiled from Scotland, a distance of seven hundred miles, much to his personal inconvenience, in order to be present at 'the discussion. [ Here some interruption was occasioned by a Gentleman, who rtiSe in the body of the Court, and requested to be heard. His request havitag been acceded to under the impression that he was a Proprietor, : he proceeded to state that his name was Strachan, that he' had entered the Company's service in 1799, as a Cadet, and had perved until 1805, when, by the sentence of a Court Marshal, he was cashiered.— He conceived, however, that he 'bad been the victim of an unjust sentence, and therefore claimed the rank of Lieutenant- Colonel, and arrears of pay up to the present time. He had ap plied 16 years ago to Mr. Astell (ths then Chairman), who told him that if he would acknowledge that he had been guilty of disobedience of orders, he should be restored to his rank ; but, knowing his innocence, he had refused to do so, and had never called upon Mr. Astell since, and after enduring every species of privation, and having ineffectually petitioned the Directors, he now threw himself upon the compassion of the Court, in the hope that his case would be investigated.l A Proprietor expressed his hope that that Court would not think of revising the sentence of a Court Martial,against which not even the Gentleman himself had shown any just grounds of impeachment. Mr. A sTEr.r. said that although he recollected neither the person nor the name of the Gentleman who had addressed them, he thought upon his own shewing, that every indul. genre would have been extended to him had he chosen - to avail himself of it. He agreed, however, entirely with the Ho nourable Gentleman who had spoken last, that that Court had quite enough to do without erecting themselves into a tribunal ! to revise the sentence of a Court Martial, particularly after a lapse of 16 years. Mr. H umE could not help entering his protest against what had fallen from the Honourable 'Director who spoke last. God forbid that Court should ever so far yield themselves up to a military despotism, as to waive their undoubted privilege of revising or annulling the proceedings of any Court;Martial, if founded upon injustice. He for one was ready to assist the individual who had appealed to them, in the investigation of his case. to call upon the only man, who, he was certain, could retrieve their affairs to resume the Government of India—he meant the Marquis of Hastings:—(Hear, hear !)—lt would be an act of magnanimity on the part of the Directors, and for which there was a precedent in the case of the Marquis Cornwallis. The Honourable Proprietor concluded by moving, " that there be laid before the Court copies and documents of Papers received from•the- Government of Bengal, relative to the But. mese war, and also to the mutiny at Barrackpore, with the ex ception of such. 43 Were of a secret natute." Mr. Pot NTEit seconded the amendment. Sir C. PORBE:4 said that he had so often, both there and in another place, expressed his opinion of the government of Lord Amherst, that it was hardly necessary for him to say that he most co:dially approved of any motion which would lead to his recall. The necessity of that measure could be no secret to the Directors themselves, when, as he was credibly informed, the Duke of Buckingham was proposed to them as Governor. General. . Now, without meaning any offence to that Noble man, he would say that he was glad to hear it was so, as any change must be for the better.—(A laugh.}—He would, how ever, challenge the Directors to say whether that Nobleman had not been proposed. The CilaritataN begged to assure the Hon. Baronet that his Majesty's Ministers had never proposed the Duke of Bucking ham as Governor-General, to him as Chairman, or to the Di rectors generally.—(Hear, hear!) Sir C. FORIIES said, that although he might not have been propoied officially, he (Sir C. F.) had no doubt he had been pro posed in some manner. The CtrantataN said, that if the Hon. Baronet would ex plain what he meant by officially, he might perhaps be able to answer him. He could, however, most unequivocally state that no such proposition as that alluded to had been made ; end the Hon. Baronet was therefore, he conceived, bound to be satisfied with his (the Chairman's) explanation. Sir C. FORB ES concluded by voting for the amendment. The question was then.(after a few observations from the Chairman and Mr. Astell) put upon the original motion, and subsequently upon the amendment, when both were negatived by a considerable tnajority. The CirAinsLitt then stated that the Court stood adjourned to the 18th of January, upon which day it was understood that the case of Mr. Buckingham would be taken into cousi deration. - UNITED STATES. JOURNEY TO NEW 31EXICO. In a Washington Paper is published .a journal of a tout from Franklin, Missouri, to New Mexico. We ex tract the following particulars. The party consisting of 81 strong, with 200 horses and mules, and goods to the amount of 30,000 dollars started on the 16th May last:— " June Bth, killed three buffaloe and one antelope.-9th, killed three buffaloe, and saw at least 5,000, chiefly bulls.- 10th, saw 10,000 buffaloe, the prairies being literally covered with them for miles.-11th, much harrassed by the herds of buffaloe, which frightened the horses, &c.-17th, saw more buffaloe.-28th, entered New Mexico, encamped on . the Saud Hills, without wood or watter.-29th, great suffering for want of water, many of the men and horses exhausted ; a dog died of heat and thirst ; water at last obtained by sinking wells.-Bth July, saw many green grapes and wild currants. —l2th, began to approach the Rocky Mountains, met with many grasshoppers.-17th, crossed Red river, its colour re sembling; that of " thin weak blood."-19th, travelled among the kkobs and cliffs of the mountains, met with many birds and wild plants.-22d, arrived at the dwelling of Juan Peno, the first civilized habitation met wit; Mr. P. has 160,000, head of sheep, and many cattle, horses, and mules.-23d, saw great herds of cattle and sheep.--25th, arrived at St. Migael, the people miserably poor, but apparently happy.-28th, reached Santa Fe, 931 miles from the place of starting ; money. scarce, goods- abundant ; the people wretched and bigotted, almost worshipping their priests ; .the neighbouring country sterile." BANKS AND INSURANCE-COMPANIES. Extract of a letter from a gentleman in New. York to his friend in Charleston, dated Ist inst. " Since I have been here, I have heard many complaints of . the stockholders in the different Marine Insurance Companies, which from. excessive competition have reduced the premiums to almost nothing. They are by far too numerous in this place for successful business, and the capitalist now feels the effects of recent heavy losses, as the companies are very generally di rected by men in trade, who, holding a small share, are inte rested to reduce the premiums on their own vessels, &c. The ship Crawford, for New Orleans, and several other heavy losses, cut very deep into The profits {or capital) of some of the offices here. You will see in the paper I send you the deveropement of the Eagle Bank of New Haven. A similar fraud has been practised on the public by the State Bank at Trenton, in which, by the bye the State of New Jersey never had a cents worth of stocks, All along the Jersey shore, opposite to New York, New. Banks have opened shop, the names of which (the'places) were never heard of before five mites from their location, and New York swarms with their small bills in circulation every where. It is wonderful that people can suffer themselves to be so imposed upon. You will see by the newspapers that the stockholders in New York and Philadelphia are beginning to feel alive to their own interests; and I think it would be well for the stockholders of all Banks and Insurance Companies in the United States, to pay more attention to their management than they generally have done. The Eagle Bank was heretofore in the highest credit, which makes the present exhibition of its affairs appear the more astonishing, and ought to induce stock holders to examine well for themselves, and not rely upon the representation of others, who may, oftentimes, be interested to deceive them." The DEPUTY CITAYE MAN here interposed, by asking Mr. Strachan whether he was a Proprietor. Mr. STRACITAN replied, that he conceived he was virtually so, since, if his arrears of pay were paid up to him, he would be in the possession of such a sum as would be sufficient to consti tute him a proprietor.—(A laugh.) • Mr. Strahan then retired from the Court. - • The DEPUTY CHAIRMAN said that the case of that gentle man had been no less than five times before the Court of Di rectors, who, after a patient investigation under five different Chairmen, had each time dismissed it. Under these circum stances he thought it really too hard that the time of the Court should be taken up with such a subject. A Proprietor here observed that it was evident there were some gentlemen who-were ready at a moment's warning to take up any subject. . Mr. Ilu WE wished the Honourable Proprietor would prove himself competent to take up any subject at a moment's warn ing. --(A laugh.) . Mr. HUME then said, that as he found it was in vain to expect that the Court of Directors would deviate from the rule which they had chosen to lay down in not advertising his motion in the usual manner, he should at once proceed to call their attention to the.subject of Lord Amherst's administration in India, and the necessity which, in his opinion, existed for the immediate recall of that Nobleman. The very - anxiety which then appeared upon the part of the Directors to stifle the discussion of this question, was to him a sufficient reason for pressing it. In order to form a proper estimate of the conduct of Lord Am herst, and the character of his administration, it was necessary to consider what was the state of the territories over which lie now ruled, compared with that in which they were left by his predecessor. Lord Amherst succeeded, in 1823, to the Go vermenment of the immense Empire which had been so wisely governed and consolidated by the Marquis of Hastings. At that period peace and amity prevailed throughout the whole of-that mighty territory. But hardly had this infatuated Nobleman arrived at the seat of Government, when some fatality induced him to engage in a war with a powerful nation, a war the ultimate results of which it was impos sible to foresee, but which it required no skill in pro phecy to foretell, could neither be productive of profit or honour to those who had so rashly embarked in it. Lord Amherst undertook this war regardless of all those na tural impediments which -the slightest knowledge of the country must have convinced him were an almost insur mountable barrier to success, and without even taking the advice of the Commander-in-Chief. What had been the result hitherto of this ill-fated undertaking ? To say nothing of the dreadful catastrophe at Barrackpore, where hundreds of unoffending men were moved down by mask- j ed batteries because they could not do impossibilities, what had been the result hitherto of this ill-fated undertaking ? The army had marched only to Prome, a very inconsiderable distance in the - Burmese territory. 'We hadlost by disease and other casual. ties thousandkof brave men ; the expences already incurred were enormous, and those which must necessarily be incurred before the termination of the contest were beyond all calculation. In the instance of shipping alone, a vessel, the original cost of which was 10,0001., had been employed for the conveyance o f —" j provisions, at 2,000/. a month.—(Hear to—Thewhole population SlZE.—it is estimated that the sewing silk and raw Bilk pro of the country through which the army passed was hostile to us, dosed in Windham county, Connecticut, is worth about 54,000 it was consequently impelled to rely for provisions upon that dollars a year. This is so much clear gain to that county—the conveyed by the Government ; but as they moved up the country attendance .on the worms being chiefly that of children who that resource would fail, and then to the horrors of war would might othatwise, be doing worse than nothing. be added those of famine.—(Hear !)—When he contrasted th e CeerfaaN Msaas.—lt is said that there are ninety cotton conduct of this ill-fated Nobleman with that of his predeces s o r , -mills, and some of them are very large establishments, in the wfien he considered also that his imbecillity was well known be. little state of Rhode Island, fore he went out, was lie not justified in imputing to the Direc- A LIGHT Housz, to be'lighted with gas from the earth, it tors a gross neglect of their duty in sanctioning the appointment is said is about to be erected near Fredouia,on the shore of lake of such a man. In every letter which had been received from Erie. We have before noticed this natural supply of inflam- India, the univeral w i s h was for the return of the Marquis of mable air. Hastings. His object, and he was sure it must be that of the " Rumors CANE."—A species of the sugar cane, thus call- Directors if they regarded their own interests, was- to have' a ed, is beginning to be cultivated in Louisiana. It appears to man of talent put at the head of their affairs. He should there- have many advantages over the old cane, for it is larger and less fore conclude by moving—" That this Court, duly considering , liable to be injured by cold, being one month earlier. It also the present state of affairs in India, do agree in the propriety takes a firmer hold in the ground, and so the better stands a and necessity of recalling Lord Amherst, the preaent Governor- gale of wind. The sugar made from it is of a superior quality. ' General." The planters of Louisiana are invited to adopt the cultivation Mr. D. KINNAIRD, in seconding the motion, said, that if it of it in lieu of cotton—and, if it generally succeeds, the revenue was only in justice to Lord Amherst himself, .the Directors of the United States will soon be materially affected by the in ought either to to accede to the present motion, and thus spare creased production of sugar. But, although this is a terrible his memory the stigma which would attach to it, if the Empire thing, we shall not regret that our brethren of Loufsiana are of India should be lost under his Government, or state their prosperous, and that a million a year may be saved to the nation reasons for retaining him in his preseat situation. by a domestic supply of sugar. . 'Mr. RANDLE JACKSON said, that by acceding to the motion THE ELM, in Hatfield, Mass,is supposed the largest tree in of his Hon. Friend, the Court would be doing an injustice to New England. It measures, in circumference, 34 feet at two the Noble Lord, while they deviated from the course which feet from the ground ;at the height of 5 feet, the smallest place they had hitherto pursued in such cases. They surely would in the trunk, the circumference is 24 feet 6 inches. There is a not pass a vote of censure and recall upon Lord Amherst, cut in the tree, 4 feet from the ground, which, tradition says, without at least calling for documents, and knowing the was made by the Indians, for the highest rise of water in the grounds of the charges which had been brought against him. Connecticut river. He should therefore, before he sat down, move as an amend- Onto—The St. Clairsville Gazette, which is published in ment, that there be laid before the Court such documents, as Belmont county, says that about two thousand acres of land, in might enable-them to conic to a correct judgment upon the that country, were planted with tobacco in the present year, question. He-could not, however, conclude without conjuring and it is estimated that the product will be 700 lbs. to the acre. the Court of Directors to consider seriously whether, in the It is supposed that about 3,000 men are now at work on the present situation of their affairs, it would -not be advisable canals which are making in Ohio. CRUELTY TO ANIMALS. It appearS by the following Extract from a Baltimore Paper that England is not the only country in . which Cruelty to Ani mals is punishable under the specific enactment of a positive law. (For the Anterwart.) The humane law of the Legislature, passed a few years since, to protect animals from the wanton abuse committed on them by their owners and others having the charge of them, has had a very beneficial effect in the general; but some late instances occurring to the contrary, has rendered it necessary that the said law should be republished for the information of all those concerned. It is as follows : " And be it enacted, That if any person or persons shall wil fully cause or procure any Null-baiting, cock-fighting, or the fighting of dogs within the city of Baltimore, or shall wilfully or wickedly cripple or commit acts of cruelty upon animals in the city aforesaid, or any of the streets, lanes or alleys thereof; every such person, and those aiding therein, shall be liable to prosecution and punishment in Baltimore County Court, as for other misdemeanors, or at the election of the accused the matter may be tried before either of the Judges of said Court, and, upon conviction, punished as aforesaid—and if the offence be committed by a slave, the Court or Judge before whom it shall be tried, may, in lieu of other _punishments, order that of whip ping, not exceeding 39 stripes. " True copy from the original. " Louis GassAwAx, Cik, Ho. Del." Officers of the Corporation, and others interested in the wel fare and good order of thvity, will render essential service to the community, by endeavouring to enforce the foregoing law, in all cases where it may be violated, as well as the several printers, by giving it an insertion in their papers. ST. THOMAS'S DAY. The Annual Elections for Common Council men and other Ward Officers commenced yesterday rhorniNg. In many of , the Wards there is no opposition. The following are the numbers in the contested Wards:— FARRINGUON WITHOUT. 76 illessrs.*ltainshaw 67 •Obbard 65 Blacket 62 Figgina 61 Beckwith .61 Galloway 58 ' Griffith 56 'Harmer 55 'Charles 53 'Jones This Ward returns 16. Messrs. Vale - Tickner Butterworth Roberts '- Reeves Savage - 'Bousfield Taylor Soutligate - Crook - 52 - 50 44 - 22 BISHOP THE LORD NAY( Mr. W. A. Peacock - 17 Deputy Greenaway - 17 --- Day 16 Sir W. Rawlins, Dep. 16 Messrs. Weston - 14 GATE. R PRESIDING. Messrs. }lonia - 13 "Windus 13 Glover - 12 Hoare - 11 Dowler - 11 Stirterant - 10 Stevens - 9 •Kenyon - 14 Duddel . 14 Bennet . 13 The Ward returns 14. BREAD. Messrs. Mathie . 2 Coleman - 2 Bridge . .2 Hallam - 1 Burrs . 2 De (have . 2 Legg - . 2 .STREET. Messrs. Cope - . 1 Daviaon - 2 *Frith - 2 'Scott . - 1 *Lawrenc,e - 2 'Hooper - 1 'Shoobridge - 0 COLEMAN-ST Mears. Hunter . 46 Carter - 41 REET WARD. Messrs. Allen - 27 Bleadon - 25 *Griffiths - 20 •Jones - 19 The NVard'returns six. West (Deputy) 39 Hale . 36 Mr. Walker resigned. - .JLLDECEGA Mama. Matthews - 55 TR WARD. Messrs. Lloyd - 49 Larkin - 47 Walton - *Mattram - 12 'flume - returns 8. Pasta 54 Fisher - 53 Diggins - 53 Forrest • 50 The liran TOWER XesSn. P.Stkipper,'Dep. 62 Samuel Dixon 62 Samuel Wright 62 Wm. Cawthorn 62 Chas. Stewart 61 Robert Smith 61 E. H. Noy - 61 This Ward ri WALBRO( Messrs. Williams . 38 Gibbs - 3:3 'Watkins - 3$ Richardson - 37 Hale - 36 This Ward WARD. Messrs. James Hunt - 60 John Drinkald 60 Gilpin Gorst 59 Wm. Robinson 59 'Thos. Howell 59 'John Hartshorne 8 .urns twelve. UL WARD. Melva. Cope - 34 Wood ward - 34 "Deans - 2 I • nyde - l 9 returns eight-. In the following Wards an alteration took place without a contest :—Farringdon Within, Mr. Durishy was elected, vice Scatchard, resigned ; Vintry, Hr. Martin, vice Dickens, re signed ; Bridge Ward, Mr. Smith, vice Dixon, resigned ; Cornhill, Mr. Bish, vice Bond, resigned. Those marked thus are new Candidates. WESTMINSTER NEW LAW COURTS. The attention which the Legislature has lately paid to matters of Architectural Taste, as concerns the embel lishment of the Metropolis, and the improvement of its ancient structures, is a very pleasing and useful implication of the times. For while this newly—engendered spirit of refinement (to which the past generation of mere money-getters may be said to have been perfectly obtuse) furnishes collaterial security of the growing prosperity of the country ; it exhibits satisfac tory proof that our Administration's late patronage of the exact and ornamental acts has not beets thrown away. Neither (considered in the narrower point ofzetr—of commercial pro fit) is the subject of so secondary a nature as it is apt to be re. puted. It is the nature of taste in art that it is interchangable ; and that if accumulated on one point, it diffuses its influence over all. Not only pleasure and convenience, but national wealth is affected by the progress of architectural refinement. Indeed, it is clear that in a country like England, where so many manufactures, of so many and various kinds, depend on the arts of design, it is - highly essential that taste in these arts should become as perfect, anti be diffused as widely, as possi ble. Such were our feelings and views in recently paying a visit to the New Law Courts, now in progress under the able architectural auspices of Mr. Soane. We were highly gratified with observing the rapidity with which they are advancing to completion. Of many points respecting them the public are obviously in the dark. Deceived by the sinister statements of interested parties introduced by corrupt channels into the Press, it is indeed' very probable that the general impression respecting them is directly the reverse of what, in conformity with truth, it ought to be. We have ourselves seen statements, in which the New Courts have been described as contracted and inconvenient, and the access to them, dark, narrow, and mean. Now the fact is directly the reverse. The Courts are, in conformity with the increasing demands of justice, resulting from increased population, larger than the preceetiing ; but they are not overlarge; they are of sufficient space to accom modate, in the most convenient manner, not only the Bends, the Bar, and the spectators, but the Tyros of the legal pro fession, and the reporters of the press. They are, moreover, as we personally know, exactly, in point of dimensions, what the leading majority of the Bench and Bar have desired ; they are large enough for the purpose of judicial dignity and public con venience, and just so large as that nothing that is said, done, or looked, can be lost ; indeed, the eye of every person present is commanded by the Bench. The conveniences of access and exit are numerous and ingeniously contrived, so that the noise of approaching or withdrawing feet cannot as formerly disturb the Court. The arrangements for the private access, retire ment, and convenience of the Judges, are admirable ; and not only are separate private approaches reserved for the Bar, but I still further to prevent the least chance of confusion, or incon venience, the leading Counsel have a distinct passage and door of communication from the rest. Another highly advantageous feature of the new design is, that one great line of communi cation, which may be opened and closed, partially or intirely, as circumstances require, unites the whole of the Courts, as they are morally united, in a comprehensive system, which will save time and prevent the " delays of justice ;" in short, nothing has been left undone for the purposes of accommoda tion. With respect to the alleged paucity, narrowness, and darkness of the public passages leading to the Courts, there is not a word of truth in it. They are very numerous from the Westminster-hall side as well as Margaret-street, intercommu nicating throughout, and throughout well lighted and spacious enough to accommodate, if necessary, the crowd of the largest and most crowded Theatre. Perhaps it was against the miti gated light of the Courts themselves that the objectors meant to level their disapprobation. The chastened manner in which this light is diffused, through the medium of the most exqui site architectural lanterns, gracefully surmounting . cielings otequally exquisite taste, is to us one of the greatest improve ments introduced; it is quiet, solemn, and majestic, and espe_ daily adapted to correspond with the dignified associations of a Court of Justice. In fine, the intire architectural design, as well as the minor details of these New Courts, is characterised by a grave, and majestic though not severe simplicity, from which every thing like ornamental pretence, or meretricious embellishment is excluded. But in mentioning the name of Mr. Soane as the architect, we consider ourselves as having said enough ; and we shall, therefore, recurring to the majestic simplicity above described, conclude with an axiom which as it concerns John Bull's pocket, is worthy his notice, viz.: that it is one of the best and most valuable qualities of genuine architectural taste that its simplicity renders it econo. mical, and that it is one of the greatest proofs of such taste to - effect its purposes at the least possible expence. 6 . 4 We copy with great pleasure the foregoing article from the Sunday Times of December 18, as it is evidently written with knowledge, candour, and justice, and may be deemed a satisfactory answer to all the illiberal and ignorant strictures which have been made upon the works in question, and we have reason to believe that the Law Authorities who are most inte rested in the subject are themselves thoroughly satisfied with the convenience and comfort which those works have afforded. ECONOMY IN STATE PRISONS-It would appear, from a statement in the Boston Daily Advertiser, that the Massachu setts state prisons, at Charlestown and Concord, have made a net profit, to that state, of 10,055 dollars. Yr r a - 4 0 111 I •,‘ y MASONIC NOTICES FOR NEXT WEEK. ENGLAND. Dec. 26, LONDON. Nos. 4, 46, 71, 305, 407' Monday, 4. COUNTRY. Nos 58 . 97, 227, 246 ' 326 .ei - 27, LONDON. N h G 753 c 056 : : . 8 75 6 435 , 47 23 54 5 79 , 80 3 : 4 55 9 92 4, . ft i COUNTRY. Nos. 38, 67, 68, 87, 1 ' 145, 285, 340, 427, 411 ' 592, 640, 649, 6b3. , Wednohlay, ..- 28, I.w.i'DoN. No. 2. Lodge of B a ' el " lence. 01 12,E , COUNTRY. Nos. 54, 84, 1 4 1 4 64 0: 442, 215 4 2 7 9 2 1 . , 4 3 7 1 t 543, 543, 549 . , 5 63 7 `: Oa' 29, LONDON. Nos. 7, 39, 327. Com. Fem. ,t;c11. . 11 ," COUNTRY. Nos. j 6 45, 384, 4 51, 3, 57, 461,11 , 4 1 1 0 7 506, 545, 556, 581, 'Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, , 070, 717. 30, LoxDoN. No. 239. COUNTRY. Nos. 53, 236. •• • - 31, LONDON. COUNTRY. 110. 412, 492. Saturday, WARD of CRIPPLEGAT.E WITHOUT, 1 14— Aon December 21i 185 ' • ATa WARDMOTE h e ld thi s day at Este, the Parish Church of Saint Gile s Wi t h out , CriPP I SI, before the Right Worshipful MATTHEW WOOD , vir a M.P. Alderman of the said Ward, for the Election o f I V, Officers, John Pullen, Esq. Deputy, an d M essrs . Met re ; lowiey, John Brogden, and Richard Lambert Jones, " elected Common Councilmen for the year ensuing. 44, The following Resolutions were th e n p ro p ose d and 00 and carried by a large majority:— bis Ist, That the four Representatives to th e 500 ElecOr s Ward, bear no comparison to the aggregate number of %, other Wards, there being nine Representatives to abollt Electors. 2d, That it appears by the Re s ol u ti ons o f th e Court rr e l; moo Council, the Recorder, the Co mmon S er jeant, the " ):1 t Clerk, and the City Solicitor, have given as their opinion , o f it is in the power of the Corporation to increase the num ber the Common Council. aavitg 3d, That a motion having been submitted by Mr. on Monday last, to the consideration of the Court of C°"",,,ber Council, for. an increase of our Representatives to the no,': ou rt of eight, and that motion being adjourned to the rie 2 c"", be, day, Mr. Alderman Wood, and our four RepresentaP re W and they are hereby, respectfully requested to exert their A in support of this motion when next brought forward. are o 4th, That the Thanks of this W ar d mo t e ar e due, c° p ia given, to Mi. Alderman W a ithm a n, to Mr. T i ' ot io3 and Mr. Galloway, for their able support of the above in the Court, on Monday last. rt i c alarlf sth, That the Thanks of thi s W ar d mo t e are P a-- -,boPY due, and are hereby giv e n, t o M r . Willi am S teve ns, of f t he gate, as a late Inhabitant of this Ward, and a Member per .re• Committee of this Ward, to, procure an increase of its co ot sentatives, for his exertions in that Committee, and in tb li. of Common Council on Monday last. Da 6r6' 6th, That the Thanks of this Wardmote are due, a d th e hereby given, to Mr. Newell and th e o th er Member s - o f the Committee, for their exertions in watching the pre r ,'ic ° , o ll4 Petition signed by 300 freemen, electors of this Wara, P' the increase of our . Representatives. Resolved unanimously, re here" That the cordial Thanks of this Wardmote be and and, by given to Matthew Wood, Esq. Alderman of this St a i i d iID one of our Representatives in Parliament, for his able Zealand partial conduct in thechair this day. For the uniform z,_ s ability with which he fulfils every public duty, Magistrate but as a Member of the Commons flousel9_l,9,tis• liament, and for the affability and attention be at all tn - T d t his plays to the inhabitants of this Ward in particular; ni!,:eperal meeting cheerfully tender him their support at the next Election. Resolved unanimously, That the Thanks of this Wardmote be, and are herehlt)oll o to Mr. Deputy Pullen, Mr. Joseph Yallowley, : 11r ' so w ere Brogden, and Mr. Richard Lambert Jones, our .I { „,, ent fives in the Court of . Common Council, for the u ric i faithful discharge of the important duties of their eln,c e tere st the past year, and for their uniform attention to the 'n this Ward in particular. `y a rd Cle rl. PETER EARNSHANir, not oiaz var. PRICE OF STOCKS TIIIS Wink Stock 205 210 3 per Cent. Red. 78 9a 9 3 per Cent. Cons _ . 9AY AT ONE 0.0-'4)C1*.,.. Old Annuities .............. New Ditto ..... Ex. Bills) 0001.1 (.1.30 35'.0fi Ditto 5001. 15 1. P r Ditto Small lid. 6 10 (1' . Ditto Aslyertised ......... Bank for Acct. ............... India for Acct. ............. Cons. for Acct. ••• 3A per Cent Ditto Red 4 per Cent. New Bank Long Ann.... 19 i 19 i i India Stock Ditto Botal!; 2O 15 dig. South Sea Stock PRICES OF FOREIGN F Austrian Bds, 5 per cent 88 Brazilian Nis 'NOS AT ONE O'CLOCS'eli Mexican Scrip . ......... Neapolitan, 5 per cent. ••• Neapolitan do. 1824 ...... ..• 4 0 Peruvian Bonds • • ....... * •••• Do. Scrip ................ •• Portuguese B o nds ...... Prussian, 5 per cent. ••••7, Ditto New ............... Russian, New, 5 p.ct. IB Spanish 1821., 5 per ct ...... 91 1823 ......... French R en te. 5 p• c. O f ' .0c , P. 05( ' - Exchange ••• of. - 3 per cent. 601. 25f. Exchange2sf. 200. 1825 —.Scrip Buenos Ayres Bds Bds, G per cent — Colombian Do, do. 1824 - Danish, 6 per cent. Do. 1825 • Greek Bds Do. 1825 lB Guatimala 31 exican lids 52 Do. 1825 s9i 60 iSiq PRICES OF SHARES AT ONE O'CLOC' shore' Per Brazilian Mining Company .. Bolivar Mining Company Cobalt and Copper Mining Company Cli Ulan Alining Company Colombian Mining Company Fainatina Mining Company .... Protector Fire Assurance Company ....... British Iron Company .......... ....... ........ . .. .............. ..... ''1441 FOI:EIGN MA) Ls. prP 1 AltuivED. Lisbon .. . Gottenburgh ilainburgli - France . - Malta Flanders - ti 11111 WA TER AT LONDON 1110 E TO-11()Ililp(r)1°: Morning, 17 minutes after 0. q Evening, 44 minuto THE SULN• SOLEM QUIS DICERS FALSUM 'IUD" L, THURSDAY EVEN ONDON E ING, DECMBE- ore Paris Papers of Tuesday received this -u6 c of still occupied with th e d ea th of the EmP t°. RUSSIA, and furnish but little else W° l.till a : We have, however, selected. B f. rt tracts, and which we submit to our Ite atie : hr ' sa The French Funds on Tuesday last, at notice.