The Sun. — London, England, 1830-04-13 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF - 7118 PUBLIC JOURNALS. In reepiying to the taxes proposed for repeal or modification by Members of Parliament at either side of the House, it does not appear to us that any place has been assigned to an impost which un doubtedly ought to be considered among the least defensible of our whole many-coloured system : we mean the probate duty—that flinty-hearted and appalling tax, which aggravates, for every widow and orphan in the land, the blow that robs them of the husband, father, and protector. It is necessary to keep in view the distinction between the legacy duty, and that on wills and testaments. The legacy duty, it is true, intercepts the kindness of the dead, and exacts from the survivor a severe price for the affection of which he has been the object ; but after all, the tax is but a deduction from a real and un questionable fund—the entire of which, minus the per tentage to the Crown, goes at once into the legatee's pocket. After three modifications the legacy duty might be tolerated without much dissatisfaction, or its absolute repeal postponed, Ist. There ought to be no dirty whatever on a pro►ision, in the nature of legacy, for children, which, indeed, it must strike every hir • mane person as quite monstrous to load with even the smallest impost. 2.1. The tax on legacies to brother and sister is fixed too high at 3 per cent., — it ought to be reduced to 1. 3d. The proportion of 10 per cent is equally oppressive upon legacies left to distant relatives, or, in default of relatives (for such is usually the case), on gifts to friends who are not by blood allied to the testator, however closely they may be bound to him by affection. The pro bate-duty, on the other hand, is one which not merely entails a punishment on survivors for the misfortune of losing parents, children, or brothers, but which may in some cases frustrate the purpose of the testa tor in devising his property, and plunge whole fami lies into utter destitution. Suppose the property be all in securities not convertible into money without process of law, who is to advance ready money for probate ? Who, again, is authorized to institute any:proofs until after the will has been proved ? The assets, meanwhile, must remain intangible, and the children of the deceased may be ejected for non-pay ment of rent,—may have their furniture sold under execution,—are wholly incapable of a legal defence against injustice,—are at the mercy of all mankind. If any thing can be worse than a state expo , ed to such distressing contingencies, it is the principle on which the amount of probate duties must be esti mated according to law. A man dies hav i ng 100,0001. due to him under sundry securities, but having likewise given security fcr 80,0001., the amount of his lawful debts. Here is a case where the real value of the property does not exceed 20,000/. What, then, must be said of an act of Parliament which compels the representative of the deceased to pay the probate-duty on 100,0001. in stead of 20,000/., no allowance being made by this iron law for the debts which are due, and which may be enforced against the estate of the testator ! We publish a paper which has been sent to us on this subject, and we really do hope that the tax al. hided to may form a frequent topic of complaint to the King's Ministers, as well in Parliament as out of doors, until a grievance be redressed which is at once indefensible and intolerable.—Times. We alluded on Saturday to the advantages en joyed by the people of the Netherlands over the people of this country in a financial point of view.— Though the population of that rich kingdom .is nearly one-third that of our own, and its agricul tural and manufacturing industry be nearly to ours in the relation of the population, the whole expence of Government, including religion, education, colo nies, keeping up roads and canals, hardly exceeds the sums lavished on the clergy of the Church of England. In fact, England presents an example of the most barefaced pillage of the industrious part of the population, fot the sake of the privileged orders, of which the history of the world furnishes an ex ample. The people of England are proverbially patient, and of this quality their rulers are perfectly aware. Still we think, if due pains were taken to enlighten the public mind with respect to the extent of the burdens imposed on industry, exertions would be made to combat, in the only way in which it can be combated, this dreadful evil. We have already observed, that so long AS Parliament remains independent of the people, so long will it be impossible for the million to preserve their property from the vulture claws of the Aristocracy; that the enemies of oppression are without organization, while there is the best under standing among all who profit by abuses; and that while one set of men are occupying themselves with tithes, another with legal abuses, another with abuses in the administration, and so forth, whenever an attack is made on any point, the enemy bears down on that point with his whole force, and gains victory. In an excellent article in one of the early numbers of the Edinburgh Review, attributed to Mr. Brougham, it was observed, that while Eng land was occupied with taking sugar islands, and wasting money on operations which could have no important result, Buonaparte struck always at the heart, and the remotest extremities felt the blow. The friends of good Government should take a hint from this. At present they resemble the tinker, vvbo, in mending one hole in a kettle, often makes two. While they are wasting themselves on some petty abuse, their enemy is furnishing occasion for fresh animadversion. The heart of the evil is the influence which a band of men, possessing a small share of the property of the country (for the whole incomes of the House of Lords do not much ex. eeed two millions a year), have in the appropriation to themselves of the produce of the industry of the nation. Let that heart be struck at, by a great effort, and all the rest will follow as a matter of course. The people are not aware of the expenses which they pay for their Aristocracy, for it does not ap pea: in any one statement, but is to be collected from a variety of sources. Pains, however, should be taken to collect together the different particulars, and to lay them before the people, that it may be Seen whether there is enough of good sense and virtue in the country to induce men of different parties and opinions to unite for one great purpose —that of wresting political power from the Aris tocracy. Without such a reform as would give property its fair influence, the mass at present being unprotected, the nation must continue to be taxed without mercy. So long as there is a shilling in the pocket of the industrious man, so long will pre texts be found for taking it, till Government be placed in harmony with the interests of the people. We are wilting to give credit to the Duke of Wel lington for a disposition to check the profusion of the Government. He can, perhaps, do more in this way than any other man, but ire can do little. The moment be touches any of the ruling caste, that moment he raises up an army. Of this we had an example in the gidibate on the Crown Lands. No man could mis. taka the object of Mr, Huskisson in holding up the Crown Lands as beyond the controul of Parliament. The proposition in itself was ridiculous, because if King, Lords, and Commons can dispose of all the property of the country, they can of course dispose of the Crown Lands ; but Mr. Huskisson did not address the proposition to the understanding of the public, but to the partialities of a certain quarter, end it might be considered as a sort of advertise ment that if his Gatee should not sufficiently up hold the splendour of the Throne, there were others ready to supply the deficiency. A Minister in this country does not depend on the people, but on the Crown and the Ari s t ocrac y ; an d h e cannot long keep his post if he displease the privileged orders. Of the branches of expenditure concealed from the public, one of the principal is that of the Colonies. We alluded the other day to a Parli amentar y Paper, from which it appears that the Governors Of a certain number of our Colonies are left entirely to their discretion as to the sums they shall expend. But it must not be supposed that because the Colonies are burdensome to Britain, that the G o . vernment is beneficial to the Colonists themselves. A part only of the pillage is taken from us. We re• joice to see that the West Indians are at length be ginning to expose the abuses of the system under which England has been taxed to oppress the Colonies. In fact, the West India Monopoly has at length ceased to be profitable to the Monopolists; and the West Indians have the same interest at present with the people of this country. In the West Indian Reporter, No. 29, there is a curious exposure of a part of the Colonial System, very im perfectly understood here. Alluding to the state ment generally acquiesced in, that the whole expence of maintaining and governing the West Indian Colonies falls upon the mother country, the writer of the article in question observes— " When we find these assertions adopted, and partly brought into the calculations of persons who have access to more correct information, we consider it requisite to dis tinguish and state as accurately as the involved nature of the documents will admit, the expence actually incurred in governing these possessions, and the great proportion of that expence which the mother country imposes upon, and causes to be paid by the Colonists themselves, chiefly, too, in support of measures, and in pursuance of objects, which, so far from being beneficial, are, in general, either directly the reverse, or at least of a very doubtful character. We need only instance the oppressively expensive Custom house establishments, maintenance of troops, high salaries to Governors, and various► ether charges, over which the Colonists have, in effect, no controul. " It is every day becoming more evident that the con nexion of the Colonies with the Mother Country, and the heavy duties and regulations imposed by the latter on the trade of the former, solely for her own benefit, have en tirely deprived the Colonists of all the advantages of a foreign trade ; and that, notwithstanding recent regula tions rashly imposed without sufficiently consulting per sons of local experience, they are still obliged to submit to the injurious monopoly of the Mother Country, in the supply of nearly all the articles requisite for feed ing their labourers, and for keeping up the cultivation of their estates—although the professed object of the regulations alluded to was to relieve them from every disadvantage. We must also premise, that much misap prehension has arisen from including the expence properly chargeable to the West India Colonies, in the general co lonial estimates ; and that many persons have also been de ceived by supposing that because the Act of the 18th Geo. 111. declares that taxes and duties levied in the old Colo lies shall be applied solely to the use of those Colonies, that these monies are strictly so applied, and that no part is appropriated in payment of the ex fences of the British troops and Government. We do not hesitate to say, how ever, that where the whole of the Colonial funds so ap plied to be fairly stated, their gross amount would be found equal to the whole expence, which, under ordinary circumstances, might he necessary for the defence and government of these possessions, supposing their various instit►►tions assimilated to those of the United States; or, in other words, if our West India Colonies were to form a part of the American Union. Far be it from us to seem to court s► , ch an alliance ; but we think it rather extraordinary, that, notwithstanding the im mense sums annually raised, and applied by the colonial legislatures, in aid of the colonial expences of the Mother Country, eminent financiers of the present slay should, by their inferential statements, seem to continue the public delusion on this subject." This hint with respect to the American scale of expenditure shows that the example of the United States is not lost on our own Colonies. The writer proceeds to notice the sums contributed by the Colonies themselves to the expenditure, and, as little is known on this subject the statement is valuable:— " With respect, in the first place, to that part of the expenditure of Jamaica which is raised within the island, we find, by a recent statement, that the sum actually paid towards the maintenance of British troops, and in repairing forts, fortifications, and barracks for their com fort, amounts to above 120,0001. per annum, while her inland militia costs :her only 6,0001. ; that she, besides, expends in salaries to the Governors, Judges, and other public officers, no less a ,um than about 65,030/. That the sum paid towards the support of the Ecclesiastical Establishment amoutts to above 20,000/. ; and that about 10,0001. more is placed under the controul of the Governor and Council for miscellaneous services . . . The whole sum paid by the industrious, but now impo verished, community of Jamaica, for public purposes, can not be estimated at less than about 300,0001. per annum." This is pretty well of itself for the Colony, even if nothing were taken from the people of England. Indeed, it appears that the people of Jamaica think that much of this expenditure might be dispensed with. " The amount of salaries paid to Officers of the Cus toms, and the justice and propriety of keeping that depart ment upon such an extensive scale, are matters upon which the people of Jamaica are at issue with the Government of the mother country. They affirm that the duties of many of these functionaries, over whom they have in effect no controul, could be efficiently performed by others at half the expence." By a Parliamentary return, dated Ist March, 1827, it appears that the salaries to Governors, Judges, and other functionaries in a part, only of the West India islands, paid entirely by Me colonists, and not including the home salaries and pensions paid out of the 41 per Cent. duties, nor certain !ocal fees levied in payment of or in the place of salaries, amounted to 33,263/ ! The ascertained fees taken at five of the smaller of these islands, amounts to 5,047/. In the years 1819 and 1820, the 41 per Cent. duties averaged 47,8841. 7s. 10d. per annum. Of the greater part of this, the application Is unknown. Mr. Creevey, we remember, said that it was principally applied towards the maintenance of the bastards of the fashionable part of the town. So much for the principle on which the Govern ment of this country is conducted. Everything must be made worth the acceptance of the caste who condescend to manage the affairs of the nation, being unable to manage their own. The West Indians say that they are not only taxed but ruined by monopolies. " Suffice it to say, that all articles of essential necessity which could be supplied by foreigners at a low rate are either heavily taxed or entirely prohibited; and by such regulations the mother country continues to secure to her self, at the expence of the Colonists, an injurious monopoly. To affirm that they enjoy anything like freedom of trade under the present system is absolute folly. Were the whole of the restrictive regulations and oppressive burdens imposed by the Mother Country re moved, and the expence attending the Government and defence of the British West India Colonies to be regulated by a conventional agreement, the Colonists might expect to obtain a favourable hearing in the markets of Europe and America. They might hope to see their islands visited by foreign ships, bringing, in exchange for their staple commodities, supplies at moderate rates, and car rying away raw and refined sugars in payment, or at low freights, so as to enable them successfully to compete, by superior science and machinery, with those rivals whom the ' philanthropists' of the Mother Country have raised up to oppose them by an increased supply of new slaves ; but we again repeat, that to say the Colonists enjoy anything like a free trade or fair play' under existing restrictions, is to insult their understand ings, and undervalue their commercial and political dis cernment."—Moreing Chronicle. _ The Licensed Victuallers, in their petition to Parliament, say that " By the Statute 9 Geo. IV. (commonly called Mr. Estcourt's Act) every evil and abuse that was supposed to have crept into the system of licensing public-houses was effectually checked or destroyed. We cannot go the length of saying that this Statute applied an effectual cor rective to the abuse of magisterial power, and the consequent grievances of which the proprietors and occupiers of public-houses had too much reason to complain, when their licenses %% ere refused or with drawn from capricious, interested, or venal motives, but we admit that, by allowing the right of appeal from the decision of the licensing Magistrates to the Quarter Sessions, it has established a wholesome controul, which must go a great way to restrain the improper and oppressive exercise of the summary authority of tl►e district Justices. We reported three appeal cases yesterday, which were tried at the Westminster Sessions on Saturday, which strikingly exemplified the necessity for such a check, and the redress which it is calculated to afford. In these cases the appellants were able to prove, by unimpeached evidence, that their house's were con ducted in a quiet and orderly manner, and that they had not forfeited the right of having their licenses renewed by any misbehaviour. No attempt was made on the part of the respondents, who had refused the licenses without assigning any reason, to support their own decision. The Chairman was of op►n►on that the respondents had been imposed upon by interest e d or malevolent persons, and the Court decided that the appellants w ere entitled to the re newal of their licenses. Here the wrong complained of, whatever might have been the motive in which it originated, certainly met with an efficient remedy, but the appellants had, no doubt, been previously subjected to great anxiety, vexation, and expence; and although the Court decided rightly in these instances, we would prefer that in every case of appeal the decision should be by the constitutional tribunal of a jury; for, at some Quarter Sessions, the influence of the district Magistrates and the esprit du corps may occasionally be found too strong for either reason or justice. There are, no doubt, in the Commission of the Peace a great number of high-minded and honourable men, who would scorn to abuse their power to any purposes of oppression or sordid interest ; but unfortunately there are others of a very different character, who act with more policy and circumspection, but not with more prin ciple, than the trading Justices of old. Such men put themselves forward when jobs are to be done— are active and perseve r i ng , and sometimes plausible enough to make the honester part of their brethren believe that in furthering their personal and un worthy objects they are only discharging their duty to the public. Such are the men who have brought odium and disgrace upon the licensing syst em — a system which, we ma i n t a i n , i s , in itself, founded in the wisest principles of legislation, and which only wants to be rightly administered to be of the most . beneficial consequences to society. It a necessary moral protection against the obvious evils of an unre strained trade in beer and spirituous liquors, which would be an affliction and a curse to either a savage or civilized state of society. As this power has been abused in the hands in which it was platted, let it be transferred to another authority (we care not whether that be the Board of Excise or any other Govern ment Board), that will be removed from the temp tation, and above the suspicion; of serving private interests by the violation of a great public duty.— We showed the other day that when the licensing system did not exist—when by the Common Law every person who pleased could set up an alehouse —when there was an undoubted freedom of trade in beer—the mischievous consequences to society were so sensibly felt, that the Legislature felt it ne cessary to interfere, and put that trade under a moral restraint, which has been acted upon for cen turies. Numerous have been the Acts of Parlia ment which have been passed on this subject; but, whatever changes they made in other and minor re spects, they all rigidly enforced the two great prin ciples, that testimonials of character, and proof of the necessity of the house, were indispensably re quisite for a license. Under these statutes the vast property of the licensed victuallers of England and Wales has been invested in the trade; and, as upon other occasions, the amount of capital brought into any trade upon the faith of Acts of Parliament has been an argument which the Legislature has recog nised as just and reasonable, we do not see why they should not give it weight in the present instance. The property at stake in this case is calculated at thirty millions, and upon this part of the subject the peti tioners say—" That, relying upon the continuance of such laws—laws which have existed without interruption for four centuries—the far greater num ber of your petitioners have entered into engage ments which they will be wholly unable to perform, whereby many will be reduced to a state of pau perism, whilst numerous orphans arid others, whose sole subsistence depends upon annuities charged upon this description of property, will find them selves wholly destitute, and be compelled to resort to their several parishes for relief." We hope that no such lamentable result will follow ;—but, whether or not, what we want to see still respected and pre served by the Legislature is a protection for the in terests and the morals of the people. If the land be covered with tippling-houses---if the low receptacles of idleness and dissipation be multiplied without limit and without distinction—we fear that a preventive police" will haVe more to do than was ever calculated on, or than they will be able to perform. Then, as to the quality of the beverage, it will be likely to suffer no less deterioration than the morals of the customers. In the hands of a race of alehouse keepers without substance or character the old modes of adulteration will be extended and new modes devised. Then may the disciples of Malthus rejoice at a plan more likely than any other to poison off the superabundant population. We trust, however, that neither the morals nor the health of the people may be exposed to this new experi ment in what is called " free trade," but that the Legisl attire will make it imperative on the Board of Excise to exact the qualifications for a license hitherto required; or else that persons who are licensed to keep houses on the new plan be pre vented from allowing the beer which they sell to be consumed on their premises. Thus the retail trade in this article will be sufficiently free, without uni versal tippling, and its consequent licentiousnes.s, being encouraged.—Morning Herald. We have already alluded, more than once, to the iniquity of the principle, involved in the Bill for throwing the trade in beer open, of stripping indi viduals of property acquired tinder the sanction of the law, or of any right which they may have en joyed in consequence of the acts of the Legislature, without compensating them for the loss. The pro priety—nay, the necessity arid justice—of indeninifi. cation in all cases where the general good required a sacrifice of individual right, has hitherto been always recognized, and always acted upon, both by the Legislature, and by all public bodies and corpora tions, invested with sufficient authority for making such alterations. If a street is to be pulled down, not only the houses, but the probable loss in conse quence of their destruction, are valued and paid for —if a highway is to be made, the land must be purchased-4 an office is to be abolished, the per son holding it must be indemnified; and so on in innumerable other cases, which it would be too tedious to detail. There is no principle, in fact, so fully recognized, both by law and common sense, I nor any which hat been more grossly abused by applying it to cases to which it had no just re- 1 ference, than that of indemnifying those who may, or are supposed to suffer from innovations and ' improvements. Whenever a free trade in corn has been mentioned, the agricultural interest has been J up in arms, and on the plea that the farmer, who i had laid out his capital on the improvement of the soil, in the expectation that no change would be made in the law, would be ruined by an alteration of it, have alwitys maintained a stout battle with the advocates of free trade; and on this ground— just in every respect, whatever might be the interest of the land-owners in perpetuating the monopoly-- we call upon them to apply the same principle to the case of the Licensed Victuallers, which, when I threatened with attack themselves, they press for ward so zealously in their service. There is no • difference between them, that we can perceive, ex cept what weighs in favour of the Licensed Vie- I tualler ; for if there be a monopoly in the sale of I beer, that monopoly, it must be well known to every one, has existed for centuries, while the trade in corn, on the other hand, has been alternately free and shut, and only of late a monopoly. The Le gislature may, therefore, be said to have given a complete assurance to the former, that there would be no intermeddling with their trade without indern- ' nification—to the latter only a partial hope; and we trust, therefore, that before the Bill shall have passed into a law, some provision to the above effect will either be inserted in it, or the principle of it so modified, as to rend er i t l ess i n j ur i ous t h an it would prove in its present state.—Morn. Advt. About 60 acres of fine plantations, belonging to NATHANIEL. Bolin, Esq., as East Holme, were, a few days since, entirely consumed, through the carelessless of an individual, who set fire to the heath in the direct course of the wind to the plantation, with which it very shortly communicated, and defied every attempt to stop its pro- O gress.N— SRhmerobourns n e Mercury.s H. Aboitt ten or twe l ve E days since a fish, of the skate sp ec i es , was so ld i n Elgin market, for 2s. which weighed no less than sixty pounds, --Elgin Courier. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. DIANSION-HOUSE. For several days a most intolerable nuisance has been extending itself from the old Post-office through the adjacent streets, even to places remote from that building. It appears that the Post-office establishment had been in the habit of making their own gas for a considerable time, and orders were given by Sir Francis Freeling to clear away the refuse. The course taken by the servants of the establishment was, notwithstanding its connexion with the Government, the reverse of that directed to be observed by the Act of Parliament. It was determined to let off the abomination through the sewers. Operations commenced about eight or ten nights ago, and the consequences were not only offensive to every ene within the influence of the stench, but injurious to the health of several. For some time every one who passed through the streets in the vicinity of the Post-office turned up his nose, without knowing from whence proceeded the effluvia. At length the Lord Mayor was applied to by some of the principal residents. It was stated to his Lordship that it was matter of surprise to the neighbourhood that he had per mitted a nuisance of so horrible a description to exist so long in the city. The LORD MAYOR—HOW can I stop it ? My own family are suffering from what you complain of. There are now three persons in this house who are suffering from its noxious influence. I have sent to the Post-office to Sir Francis Freeling upon hearing the complaints of the vicinity, and have been assured that it should be checked at once, but it still continues. It has eontaminated our provisions, and it is in fact poisoning the whole district. A gentleman from the house of Messrs. Calvert, the porter brewers, said to his Lordship, that his principals had very serious cause of complaint indeed against the Post-office, and should feel it to be their duty to proceed against that establishment for the recovery of very large damages for the injury they had sustained. They estimated that injury at the sum of 10,0001. If the proper means of removal had been resorted to, no mischievous effect could have been produced. The LORD MAYOR told the numerous complain ants that he should again send to Sir Francis Freel ing. It was most extraordinary, that after such a communication as he had caused to be made to that officer, so horrible an annoyance should be continued. The officers of the surrounding parishes then ad ded their complaints, and Mr. Cope, the Marshal, was despatched to the Post-office. The justice room, as it happened, smelt as offensively at the very time this conversation was going forward as the common sewer in its ordinary state. One of the persons employed as a mechanist at the Post•oflice instantly obeyed the summons of the Lord Mayor, Sir Francis Freeling and Mr. Kaye noc being at the establishment. HIS LORDSHIP asked, with much indignation, why the nuisance was not abated. The man replied that Sir Francis Freeling had done all in his power to prevent its continuance, and no doubt it would now gradually disappear. The LORD MAYOR—Why was not the refuse taken away as the Act directs in covered waggons, instead of being turned into the drains and allowed to poison the public?—The man said it was con sidered more advisable to let the refuse run into the drains, than to take it off in waggons. In the latter way the job could not be completed in less time than eight weeks, while through the drains the refuse was passed away in a few days. The smell, as might be expected, could not depart at once, but in a short time all the annoyance would cease. In the course of the day the subject was often renewed, fresh complainants appearing, and when ever an opportunity offered, addressing his Lordship, and beseeching him to interfere to prevent a pesti lence from being engendered amongst the citizens of London. Thus beset, and really apprehensive that his Easter feast would be liable to contamination from the influence of the gas, and his guests thrown into " most admired disorder," the LORD MAYOR again despatched a messenger to the Post-office. Soon afterwards ene of the principal officers of the establishment waited upon his Lordship, and appeared extremely desirous to impress upon him the anxiety felt by the head of the Post-office that he should believe that every thing should be done to abate the existing nuisance. The surveyor of the Post-office had, he said, been directed to adopt the best means in his power for the removal of the gas refuse, and with the concurrence of Messrs. Marti neau, whose experience and skill had been well at tested, had determined to let it off through the drains. The plags of the neighbourhood had been all turned, and all the remains would no doubt be soon washed away. The LORD MAYOR assured the gentleman that Mr. Calvert, the brewer, would seek reparation in a court of law, and as he (the Lord Mayor) was bound to protect his fellow-citizens, he should feel it his duty if the nuisance did not at once cease, to order an indictment to be forthwith laid against the establishment, high as was his opinion of its con ductors, particularly of Sir Francis Freeing. BOW-STREET. Four fellows, pugilists by profession, whose names are John Gow, Thomas Teasdale, William Watts, and John Robinson, were charged with having created a very serious disturbance on the preceding day (Sunday), at Gate-street Chapel, Lincoln's Inn fields, and also with having violently assaulted several of the congregation and some police con stables who were called in to quell the riot. Several of the latter appeared with black eyes and bruised faces, from blows inflicted by the prisoners in en deavouring to effect their escape. Sir R. BIRSIE insisted that the governors of the Chapel, as well as those police-constables who had been assaulted, should be severally bound over to prosecute the prisoners. The prisoners were then locked up in default of bail. A well-dressed young man, who said his name was John Brown, was charged by Townshend, the veteran police-officer, who attends upon his Ma jesty, with attempting to rob an elderly gentleman in St. James's Park, and with being a reputed thief. Townshend told his story in his usual peculiar quaint way. lie said, I was going that morning down the passage leading from Spring-gardens into St. James's Park, as a party of the Foot Guards had passed before in that direction. I found there was an obstruction, and a gentleman said to me, Townshend, what is the cause of this; the road is choked up ? I said to him, you may depend upon it some old acquaintances of mine have caused the obstruction to create a confusion, and to pick pockets. I then went to the iron pillars, and saw the prisoner and two other fellows talking in their usual slang language; they had surrounded an elderly gentle man, and were ogling his pockets, when he appeared to be aware of their intentions, and prevented them from carrying them into effect. One of the robbers said to the prisoner, who was acting in concert with them. " I had nearly drawn that old flat's skin, but he baulked me." I (continued Townshend) looked the prigs full in the face, and said, " If you had drawn his skin, I would have grabbed you"— ( Laughter)—and they ran off as fast as they could. Mr. 1/Au.s—What is the meaning of " skin" and " grab," Mr. Townshend ? Townshend— ‘. Skin" means purse, and " grab" means to appre hend. When they ran off, I cut round into the Park in another direction, and fell in with the prisoner, and gave him into the charge of a policeman. Mr. HALLS —Are you positive he is a thief, and was in the Park with the intention of committing robberies ? Townshend—J never saw the prisoner before in my life; but, as I said before, when I saw him ogling the people's pockets, and being a cover to the other thieves to give them an opportunity of picking the old gentleman's pocket, I said to myself, " John Townshend, as sure as thou art in existence, that is as out-and-out a prig as ever drew a wipe from the tail of a coat."—(Laughter.)—Upon in. quirt', I found he was one of the " swell mob" thieves, and is one of the most active robbers at the theatres. Ledbitter, the officer, said that he knew the prisoner to be a reputed thief, and as clever an artist as any prig in London. lie was in custody at this office a few weeks ago on a charge of robbing a gentleman at Covent-garden theatre of a gold watch and a purse containing eleven sovereigns. On that occasion he was in company with two men, to whom he contrived to transfer the stolen property before he was secured. Mr. HALLS asked the prisoner to say what he was. He refused to answer, and was convicted as a reputed thief, and was sentenced to two months' imprisonment in the House of Correction. QUEEN-SQUARE. Yesterday Mr. Dunn, professor of anatomy, and acconcheur to a charitable institution for the de livery of poor married women, applied to Mr. MARRIOTT for his advice and interposition in an affair at once affecting and distressing. Mr. Dunn introduced an interesting looking young female, about 19 years of age, whose name he stated to be Madame Lanaud, a native of Paris, whom he had delivered of her firstborn, a fine male child, on the 26th of December last, and whose father died about three months since, of bsemoptysis, or spitting of blood, leaving his widow and infant totally un provided for. Mr. Dunn added, that the now destitute young foreigner had resided with her husband in York street, Westminster, where they followed the glass blowing fancy trade, still continued by herself un der most discouraging circumstances, at No. 4, Shakspeare-row, Ranelagh•street, Pimlico. She was now, however, unable to work at her business while sustaining her infant, and sought relief from the parish, where they had resided for nine months. From his own knowledge he could pledge himself that the unfortunate young woman was in the most abject misery. Mr. MARRIOTT intimated his apprehension that the parents had obtained no settlement in the parish. Mr. Dunn—Why, Sir, I delivered her in the parish. Mr. MARRIOTT-If I understand you, the child was born in lawful wedlock, whereas, had it ap peared to have been born in bastardy, it would have obtained a settlement. But if the mother is here, and in want of the necessaries of life, it may per haps be dealt with as among our casual poor, though I cannot make an order to this effect, I am aware of, the parents not having legally obtained a settle ment. Mr. MARRIOTT here put several questions to Madame Lanaud, and Mr. Dunn acted as interpreter. She said she could not get her child taken proper care of for less than ss. or 6s. per week, which sum her utmost industry would not supply. She was in the greatest distress possible since the death of her husband, and for the last seven days past she had subsisted on nothing but bread. Mr. MARRIOTT—She looks well. 111 r. Dunn—And yet, Sir, she is in an extremely low state, and besides suffers much from a determi nation of blood to the head, occasioned by being so much over the furnaces of glass. Mr. MARRIOTT-If the object of your applica tion were temporary relief, it might, perhaps, be met ; but I cannot require the parish officers to keep her permanently, as there is no settlement made out. Madame Lanaud was then directed to attend again at two o'clock, when the parish officers would be present. Messrs.' Wilson and Page, the overseers of St. Margaret's parish, having arrived, Madame Lanaud came forward with her infant in her arms, and the circumstances of her case were stated by the Ma gistrate to the overseers for their consideration. It appeared that Mr. Wilson had been acquainted with the case, but was averse to entertaining it. Mr. MARRIOTT—What I have to say to you on this subject is, that this is not a case where I can make any compulsory order on the overseers. The child has no claim, the mother has no claim, and the father had no claim when he was alive; and there is no provision that I am aware of for removing French subjects in such circumstances to their native land; but if you think this melancholy case comes under the casual ones which we are accustomed to relieve, and that her situation entitles her to relief, you will act with that discretion which becomes your own responsibility as officers of the parish, and I can only add my own recommendation, that she be relieved, which, however, I have no power to enforce. The appeal of the worthy Magistrate to the over seers was in vain, and the unfortunate young fo reigner was suffered to depart without receiving a single sixpence. Mr. Dunn and some others, who had heard the case, subscribed their mite for her temporary relief. Had the infant not been born in wedlock, the child must have been supported by the parish, as the law at present stands. UNION-HALL. A paragraph appeared in the Sunday papers de scribing that Lieutenant Lambrecht had called at the police station in the Southwark -bridge-road on Friday night last, in great distress, and asked per mission to rest himself, describing at the same time that since his acquittal at the late Surrey Assizes he had been abandoned by all his former friends and acquaintances, and was then without the means of even procuring the common necessaries of life. This statement seems to have been founded in truth, for on Sunday morning the unfortunate man called at Union-hall and the Chief Clerk had an opportu nity of witnessing the extreme state of distress under which he appeared. Mr. Lambrecht spoke of the kind treatment he had experienced at the station house, and of the money he had received to procure him a bed from the inspector, which he had ex pended for that purpose, but had since been without food and exposed to the vicissitudes of the weather. He begged to be permitted to remain for shelter in the office, but this could not be acceded to, and he was furnished with money fer his present neces sities, and then went away. His appearance is de scribed as miserable as well can be conceived, and from his manner, those who saw him apprehended that, unless some friendly hand came forward to re lieve his necessities, and rescue him from his present situation, the unfortunate man must inevitably run into headlong destruction. He was seen wandering about the Borough in the course of yesterday morning. PARISH OF CHRISTCHURCH, SURREY A public meeting of the inhabitants of thi's . P . arlsh was held yesterday evening in the large room of tha Hero of Waterloo Tavern, Waterloo-bridge-road. At eight o'clock Mr. HENRY HUNT took Chair, and observed that the meeting was assembled for the purpose of taking into consideration the state of the various charities belonging to the parish; the best means of counteracting any attempts . of the Commissioners acting under the local Act tO appropriate their funds to the encouragement of utr necessary law-suits; and the present extravagant parish expenditure, and the best means of reducing several charges in the parish accounts. Items of expenditure to the rector, for law expenses, to the beadles, and other matters, were then read, amount• ng to a total of 1,8831. 9s. 3d. It appeared, from accounts published by the Overseers for 1829, the number of paupers in the house and at Wandsworth amounted on an average for the year to 216, who cost for victualling, far and clothing, 1,7.51/. 4s. 6d., showing that the Rector, and other parish-officers cost more by the sum of 1321. 4s. 9d. th an th e whole of the poor ie the workhouse. Mr. HUNT and other parishioners subsequent!! addressed the meeting, and commented on the fir vrious abuses disclosed in the preceding statement. A series of resolutions were then carried, deck' ratory of the intention of the meeting to oppose, I)! every means in their power, any attempts to burden the parish with unnecessary expences, and to inver tigate the several charities, and their appropriation. PARISH OF ST. CLEMENT DANES. The Annual Meeting of Inhabitants was held yesterday in the Vestry of this Parish, for transact ing parochial business. The Rev. Mr. GURNEY in the Chair. It appeared that the Commissioners of the New Police had sent an order for the payment of 1,1501. within forty days, for the expences of the police force stationed in the parish for the half year ending at Michaelmas next, being an assessment of 4d. in the pound on the yearly rental of the parish. To meet this demand, and the relief of the poor, it was moved by Mr. BANNISTER, that a rate of 9d. in the pound should be levied.—The motion was agreed to. The accounts of the Trustees of the Holborn Estate, belonging to the parish, from Easter, 1829, to Easter, 1830, was next considered. The rental for the past year was 2,7291. 10s. Gd., and it was stated that a considerable increase, probably to the amount of 6001., would take place in a short time, on the fulling in of some of the leases, and a conse quent diminution in the poor-rates would ensue. — The accounts of the trustees were passed without opposition. LAND TAX. .Mr. MASON made some remarks on the unequal manner in which the Land Tax was assessed in the parish of St. Clement Danes, and said they were almost in as bad a situation as the parish of St. Paul, Covent-garden, and had to pay more in the shape of Land Tax than many parishes twice as large as that of et. Clements.—lt was finally arranged that I , meeting should be called for the express purpose o? petitioning Parliament. LONDON MARKETS. PRICE OF BREAD. The highest price of Bread in the Metropolis is 103¢it tot the 41b. Loaf. There are others who sell from 30. to Iyjd. odoe that price. PRICE OF SEEDS.-Apnl 12. New Englishßed Clover Seed (per Cwt.) 48s. 60s. fine 70s. V , . Old Ditto Ditto . -s. -s. fine 1-s. -. 4 . New Foreign Ditto. - ........... 565. '74s fine 2515.1100. Old Ditto - . -...i. 455. fine -a. 900. New White Clover . 445. 748. fine 738.1195. Old Ditto Ditt0.......----- --s. 508. fine SOB. 80. New Trefoil - Old Ditto .. - ...... -8. -a. fine -a ...A. Rib Grass English Carraway 5eed..........--..... --s. -a. 525. fine 540. Foreign Ditto _ - 8 . - 8 . 558. fine 578. Coriander ....... __ . -s. 225. fine -s. 2_ 48 . St. Foin ........-.............(per Quarter)-.... -a. 425. fine 435. 40 " Rye Grass ~....................................-.....-........ 20s. 335. new 355„ 45a , Pacey Ditto .......................nroo ftowno 40s• 458. new -a. .... 4 _, * ' Linseed, for feeding..„.,~,,._ _... Ditto, for crushing __ -8. --s. -s. fine , 8 ' Canary Seed, New -s. 365. fine -8. 10 * DittoOld--...... , .......-................... . --s. -8. ••••13. fine •••"!' White Mustard Seed -(rer Bushel).- -s. 7s. 91. fine .•••• Brown Ditto ......n0wnewrevwenn........................... •-.43. 128. 138. fine ..A. l'urnip Seeds, Roundk Green and Red Ditto Tares, Old --- Ditto New —s. fine 1 0 ' —s. fine 1 80 . --s. 255. 365. fine 7".8. —s. fine 425. Rape Seed, English, fine (per Last) —.l. 441/...... Foreign PRICES OF HOPS.—April 12. Kent Pockets _ 5/ 15s. 61. 12s. to Syssex Ditto ism Ditto 5l. 155., 61. 6s. to Farnham Ditto, Fine Ol. Os. 91. Os. to Seconds 5/. ss. 61. 6s. to 51. Os. 51. 12s. to 51. ss. W. Os. to 91 oi. 61. ds• 106. 111, O. SI. So. 71. Os. 51. 1 54 ' 61. 6.• Kent Lai Essex Ditto., Sussex Ditto PRICE OF POTATOES.—ApriI 12. Kidneys Scotch Reds 4/. 15s. to 51. Os. ditto. Oxnobles and Shaws X. ss. to 31. 10s. ditto. PRICE OF OIL. Rape Oil, brown Refined Linseed Oil 22 0 Linseed Oil Cake at the Mill, per thousand lO 1 0 Rape Cake, per ton PRICES Per lb. d. to 8utt5.......50 to 561b.....,181 to 661 b.— 21 Dressing 14 Fine Coach Hides 17 Crop Hides, 35 to 401 b. 14 to 50Ib, 141 Ditto OF LEATHER. d. Per lb. IN Tanned Horse Hides,, 22 Spanish Ditto 16 Per dozen. 19 Calf Skins... 36 to Mb. 16 4 1 151 Ditto to 701 b. 22 r i 171 Ditto 'lO to 801 b. 19 21 191 Small Seals, Greenland 20 41 to d ' 15 18 39 94 WHITECHAPEL HAY MARKET.—ApriI 10 H.ty 50s. Od. to 90s. Od. (lover 70s. Od. to 110 s„ Od. to 48s. Od. SHEEP SKINS. Wool Os. Od. to Os. Od. I 6d. to 4s. 6d. Downs 2s. Od. to 3s. Od. RAW HIDES. Per Stone. s. d. to s. d. Best Heifers& Steers 2 10 3 0 Ordinary Per toe. Middlings each .2 4 2 6 Market 6 0 COAL M A It Adair's Reaumont _ 28 6 Bensham Main 29 0 East Percy. 27 6 Hebburn Main Holywell, 3O 3 Killingworth 32 6 Liddell's 27 0 Newburn 3l 0 Ord's Redhugh 26 9 Petiw Pontop Windsor--..... 27 0 lantield - 2 B 2B 6 Willington Wylam 30 0 Walls End Bell and Co. 33 6 Ditto Bell Robson & Co. 33 0 Ditto Bewicke and Co.— 34 9 Walls End Brown's..—. 32 0 Ditto Burraton 33 6 Walls End Boundary.. 30 6 Ditto Brown's unser...-. 31 6 Ditto Clarke and C 0... 30 9 Walls End Carr and Co. 30 0 Ditto Cramlington......... 29 0 Ships at market, 117%—Sh ET.—April 12. Walls End Newmarch.., 335. 6& Ditto Gosforth 36 0 Ditto Heaton _ 35 6 Ditto Hilda 32 6 Ditto 33 0 Ditto Northumberland 32 6 Ditto Perkins and 32 6 Ditto 35 0 Ditto Russell's , _ .26 6 Ditto Walker 35 0 Walls End Hetton 37 Walls End Lambton . 37 0 Walla End Stewart's ... 37 Russell's Hetton's W.F. 26 Cowpeu 29 0 Hartley ........—. 2B 0 Llangennech Coal —. 39 0 Milford 43 0 Silkstone _ 32 0 Warde's Llanelly ......... 34 0 Walls End Selby 30 0 Wellwood Hebburn small Tyne small Wall's End small 20 4- Stobart small 24 U lips sold, 69-Unsold, 48%. IRISH MARKETS. Wheat, Barley. Oats. Flour, per cwt. per barrel per barrel per barrel r----a.----.1 20 stone. 16 stone. 14 stone. Ist. 2d. -- --- s.d.as.d. s. d. as.d. s.d.as.d. s. d. as. d. s. d.as. d. 1 Cork.-- 30 6-32 6 11 0-15 0,10 6-15 0 18 0-22 ( 7 0-18 G Limerick 1 24 0-28 010 0-1211 89-9 4 18 0-21 0 0 0-15 " Waterford 32 0-35 0 13 0-15 0 13 0-14 0 18 0-24 0 10 0-15 % Clonmel .... 30 0-33 0 11 6-14 6 10 8-12 0 20 0-25 0 12 0-1 6 A Carlow— 26 0-30 0 12 0-19 0 10 0-13 020 6-21 0 0 0- ( 1,,.' -, Beef, Mutton, Pork, Butter. 1 per lb. per lb. p er cw t . I st. 2d . 3d. 40, 501. -....0 Id. a d. d. a d. s . d. aa. d . s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s• 4 ,', Cork .--.. 41-6 4 -6 15 0-20 090086074 0 68 0 60 " I Limerick- 4 -5 4- 6 23 0-30 0.90 0 84 079 072 0 66 ° Waterford 3 —5l 4 51 23 0-25 6'95 0 78 0 57 0 5 3 0 50 Clonmel .. 21-41 3 - 41 27 0-29 068 060 (I 54 052 0 .-- g Carlow...-. 4 -5110 - 0 00- 0 0178 0740 64 054 0 --_, KILKENNY.—Butter 663 to 68s. per cwt. ; Wheat 28s. to 3 1 °' per barrel ; Flour 18s. to 365. per bag; Oats 9s. to Ils. per bar' rel; Barley 108. to 12s. ; Beef 4 ( 1. t o 5%4. p er lb. ; M u tt o n :id' to 4(1. ; Potatoes sd. per stone; Coals Is. 2d. per cwt.; Bacot' , Pigs 245. to 265. per cwt. MINING INTELLIGENCE. Tone. CA T Quantity of Copper Ore sold at Redruth last Thursday 3,207 ~ Average Produce 74 Quantity of fine Copper Amount of Sale, 16,5131. I ls. 6.l.—Average Standard, 1081. 13s. Od" BIRTHS. On the 10th inst. in Upper Berkeley -street, PortMO . square, the lady of W. H. Sharp, Esq. of a son. On the I 1 th inst. in Charlotte-street, Bloomsbury" square, the lady of F. C. Losack, of a still-born chid. On the 11th inst. in Mortimer-street, Cavendish-square , the lady of C. E. Heaton, Esq., of a son. On the 10th inst. in Upper Seymour-street, the lady of W. J. Law, Esq., of a son. On the 11th inst. Mrs. B. Hopkinson, of Red Lion' square, of a daughter. On the 9th inst. Mrs. G. Young, of Brompton, of daughter. MARRIED. On the Bth inst. at St. Martin's-in-the-Fields, Franci i Place, jun., to Maria, second daughter of the late WO' Water&ld, Esq. On the Sth inst. at the British Ambassador's Chapel► Paris, by Bishop Luscombe, Samuel James, youngest soo of the late S. Gambier, Esq. to Maria Rowlands, elde*s daughter of Capt. R. Money, R.N., C.B. On the 10th inst. at St. Andrew's, Holborn, Mr. Murphy, of Gower-place, Euston-square, to Sarah, second daughter of Mr. J. Hill, of High Holborn. DIED. On the 6th inst. at Brussels, Octavio, youngest ( laugh' ter of the late T. Maltby, Esq. On the 12th inst. in Gower-street, aged 71, 5.111 * Catherine Blayney, widow of the late Rev. Robert BlaYneY!. of Pittrord, in the c oun t y o f N orthampton, an d s ister of Lord Howard of Effingham. _ . On the Bth inst. at Allee des Veuves, Champs Elyseeqt Paris, Frances Maria Tolfrey, second daughter of the late H. Tolfrey, Esq., of Calcutta. On the 9th inst. at Hastings, Henry 13onhawf Esq., of Rochetts, Essex, and Portland-place, Londont late M. P. for Rye. On the 11th inst. at Stone Castle, Kent, R. Talbot, Esq. in his 70th year. On the 11th inst. at Guildford-place, Kennington, the wife of Mr. L. Wolfe. On the sth inst. the Rev. H. Jowett, Rector of Little, Dunham, N or f o lk, i n his '74th year, 38 years Rector o f that place, and formely Fellow and Tutor of Magdalen College, Cambridge. PRINTED AND PUBLISHED bY MURDO YOUNG, 4T THE SUN OFFICE', 112, &RAPID, LONDON- . ~-~' " S P A linstori `Prinb pRi Miwat e " Asa Man, and elueidatioi t a , be rem "ItorY infertnati . ( delinea flew; 4)44 treet Tb da d 0 TRA PE I "lght a: A ye grea " The 0 04 wou has the al tereeting and. pecul " An i$ a, great the. work all ioteree Houy ton-streel Thie (14y. T" Cotinsello .(Mr.l Rusiian E of his ear ehatka an of Siberia tourse of terfain di 4 avo thoB coma of liderable to be awe attention China tra Henry ton -street This day limbs" Georg! liame, T Third Ec List of Contai PARTE. 4 Y }lade G eorge taavta The L 9tries, „ AAVTI The with To Edition. Tb, e ~vitL on Edition. The 1 :ell mu g voh.) The- C portraits The I TERS, With Se The : COLLIN by hini traced The ilh ultrut 140 . of ] A N and of ti of t k tir Ax e d al Prop 11l One SUP] Portult to r ,, pa %rue p 10.• ed instrutct to the OBS rru T/0 44 d ou 1, "Y th e With an titr ation 13'44. C o N o f IN : r 111 , C t e l./. p the Ad t R 2 k tuw. 11 4 Partie u ciPaliti e VY the 14 2 vu HIS 'FRO the M PRIM vols. t 3 "A