The Sun. — London, England, 1830-01-07 00:00:00

Tat es for the common good of all in the district ? Another thing which operates against the sale of the produce of prison manu factories amongst the Nobility and Gentry, who are the least likely to be biassed by prejudice, and therefore the most likely to encourage such ma nufactories, is the almost universal, and yet, I must say, unjudicious, and at all events, greatly abused practice of allowing servants to receive a regular per centage, or large presents, from the tradesmen of whom they purchase goods on their employers' account. In all these eases it is very obvious that it is the master ultimately who pays the per centage, or makes the present. And so much does the tradesman find it to be to his advantage to secure the custom of these go-betweens, that it is no uncommon thing for a shopkeeper to support a servant when out of place, from a gratefill remembrance of past favours, and an understood pledge of their continuance when another situation is obtained. Human nature is hwnan nature still, and a gift perverted' the heart. And as prison establishments have no bribes to offer, it is nut likely that a gentleman's servant will give the preference to prison manu factures, or even purchase them, unless his master or mistress gives explicit orders on the subject, and sees that they are faithfully executed.— cannot, however, but express it as my conviction, that the chief cause why these prison manufactures do not find a ready sale is, the general ignorance which prevails respecting the way in which our prison esta blishments are supported. Many respectable individuals, residing in the immediate vicinity, have never thought it worth their while to in quire whence the money was obtained to meet the expellee of the adjoining risen ; and are evidently surprised at the iofinmation that a por tion of it is drawn front their own pockets. The faet is, that all these establishments throughout the country are supported out of the Poor Mates, and necessarily tend greatly to increase the amount. of these rates ; so that every individual who pays Poor Rates is subscribing to the sup port Of our prisons. And hence it follows, that every measure for diminishing crime and. en couragieg the productive labour of our prisons is. a measure for diminishing the annual expence of every individual who pays Poor Rates." As every country has its customs, and in this country it is the custom to cheat every man where it is possible to cheat--that is, every man who is ob liged to repose trust, consequently Noblemen and Gentlemen must be preyed on by their servants —why cannot the persons who dispose of prison manufactures ask two prices like other tradesmen ? —one price from those who purchase for them. selves, and another from those who, like servants, purchase fir their masters. Mr. Mance must have a sufficiency of gentlemen's servants through his hands to know the extent of their allowances from tradesmen. But, moreover, it is essential to the object of effective discipline, that as much labour as possible should be got out of the prisoner. If we were writing for foreigners it might be necessary to explain to them, that the home which has the greatest attraction to the lower orders of this country is the prison ; but as we are writing to Engliehmen, we need hardly ob serve, that to a poor man who has once sur mounted the prejudices derived from education end tradition against prisons, the greatest punish ment that can be inflicted on him is to turn him out. Let us hear Mr. Mance on this subject : " In the reformation of criminal delinquents, I am a decided advocate for hard labour, con joined with hard though wholesome fare, as among the best external means that can be adopted for counteracting habits of idleness, dissipation, and vice, and promoting a disposi tioo to industry, temperance, and virtue. I think that all prison labour should be produc tive, and turned to the advantage of the corn , monite. If every prisoner was compelled not only to earn his own support, but to contribute as far as possible to the support of the prison offiaces, it would increase the irksomeness of his aittradon ; it would make him more highly value his liberty when releassd ; it would operate as a pnwercel cheek, when again tempted to step aside from die paths of honesty and virtue ; and it is obvious that, under such regulations, no one would regard prisons in the light in which it is to befeared they are now too generally reoeirded by eioiders not subject to hard labour, as a castle of indolence,to which they may, by com mitting various petty depredations, retreat for the minter season from labour, anxiety, danger, and want ; and where they are sure of regular provisions and a comfortable bed, without fore thought or expence." As we are somewhat optimists, ised never despair of the cause of im provement, we are sometimes tempted to indulge in a new view of this subject. It is obvious, that at present prisons are rapidly rising in favour with the people ; and the question as to the inecticabirity of keeping men out of them must depend on this—whether the condition of those in prison can be made as uncomfortable as the condition of those out : because, if the misery without more than equals in its increase the rigour within, the attraction of the prisons must continue. It has occasionally struck us, when reflecting on this subject, that the growing at traction of prisons may naturally, and without violettee, lead to the establishment of the eyete in of Mr. Owen, or an approximation to " Regular provisions (as Mr. Mance says) god eomfortable bed, without forethought or esneenee,'' are, in a climate like ours, no. such b a d things in winter. When the majority of the labouring population have chosen a prison life in preference, our prisons must become great co-opetative institutions, in which the aristo cracy of the country may still retain their ascen daney,e by directing their operations. The re volution will accomplish itself gradually. We know not whether Mr. Owen has looked to prisons as thus paving the way for his parallelo grams. Mr. Mance is of opinion that " such a quantum of productive labour could be legally and justly exacted from prisoners as to cover the principal part, or the whole, of the expellees of these establishments," which is a most material point. We regret that our limits will not allow U 8 to enter at much greater length into the views of Mr. Mance. One crying evil in our system is- the inequality of the hard labour exacted. " There are scarcely (he says) two prisons in the kingdom that inflict the same degree of hard labour; nor do I know - one in .England, except the one at P e t wort h, w h ere the same degree of labour is inflicted in winter as in summer. As thesCase now stands, the hardened offender, who takes the advantage of winter's darkness to rob and plunder the property of the public, gets off with one-fourth, one-third, and in some prisons oneshalf less daily labour than the young and less artful practitioner, who commits some petty crime in the summer." The discretionary power given to gaolers, in publicly or privately whip ping prisoners, is stated by Mr. Mance to be productive of great evil :—" Finding no hu- man standard (says Mr. Mance) to assist my judgment, I had recourse to the Scriptures, and found that the law of Moses limits the number of stripes to be iVicted to forty. Dem. c. xxv. v. 2 and 3. This determined me to inflict three dozen lashes upon each offender ordered to be privately whipped." Perhaps Mr. Mance abated the four out of the forty in consideration of the superior force of a blow from an Englishman compared with an inhabi tant of Palestine. The picture which Mr. Mance draws of the evils of a piece of inhu manity, peculiar, we believe, to England— namely, the committing to prison the reputed fathers, in cases of bastardy, before birth—is truly appalling. We are afraid we should be overhauled by Sir James Scarlett, for endea vouring to bring the Legislature into contempt. were we to say the tenth part of what we feel with respect to a body which, in spite of nume- rous remonstrances, have allowed This evil to re main from the ISth of Elizabeth to this day. " In cases of bastardy (says Mr. Mance) the Overseers of parishes frequently avail themselves of thin clause of the Act of Parliament, as a rod to drive the young reputed father to the altar or to prison. Providing for the child is not so much the object as an entire riddance of the mother, by causing her to become a parishioner of some other parish by the marriage ; as, in nine commitments out of ten, the man belongs to one parish and the woman to another. By committing men to prison before birth, women become careless of their chastity, knowing that a man mint marry them or go to pri son, which is too often the case ; and forced. marriages seldom turn out well. After birth, if the _ man does not obey the order of affilia tion, but leaves the child to be supported by the parish, he may be sent to prison, and kept to hard labour, as often as he may offend in the non-payment of the order. But before birth it is uncertain whether the child will ever become chargeable. Notwithstanding the reputed father may be confined in prison from one to nine months, to the possible expellee of twenty pounds to the county ; and some instances have been known, in which the female, though sworn to the fact, was not even pregnant, although the imprisonment has been endured. Immediately the order of affiliation is served upon the pri soner, he must be liberated on the payment of the order, which is generally from one to four pounds. This is a great oppression to the sub ject, and an injury to the whole community. If such young men (as fathers of illegitimate chil dren generally are) were honest before, prison association prepares them for criminal pursuits ; for man drinketh in iniquity like water.' But we must now dismiss Mr. Mance without entering further into the parts discussed in his valuable pamphlet.—Morning Chronicle. if Parliament, when it meets, only enters upon one half of the topics which call for its attention, the next, we should imagine, will be one of the busiest Sessions that will ever have been remem bered. Like an arrear of causes in Courts of Law, most of the public concerns have been made remands. Even in the Session before the last the novelty of their situation was a rea son or an excuse with Ministers for postponing a great proportion of the public business till last year ; and when the Session of the last year ar rived, the Catholic Question was the only ques tion of any moment which was deliberately entered upon, all other subjects (if we except the appointment of the New Police) were again postponed, under the usual pledge that they shall be taken up " early in the next." Under these circumstances alone, bad it been only to bring up this double—we might say treble—list of arrears, Ministers were bound, we think, to have called Parliament together early in Novem ber ; and the blame of not having done so be comes incalculably greater, when, in addition to all which stood over for consideration, they have seen the new and pressing difficulties with which the country has become environed. In private life, if a man's house were on fire, or a confla gration only approaching, would he take no steps to subdue or meet the danger, but quietly retire to his country seat, in expectation that the en gines would arrive some day or two hence, or that water might be obtained after the frost had broken up ? This, or something not unlike this, has been the apparent apathy which the Government has displayed in not earlier re sorting to that source of advice which the Constitution of this country furnishes as the proper remedy in every political difficulty or disease. If the doctors can cure the patient without further assistance, of course it is their duty : and they are well justified in doing so: but if under their management the disease in creases, surely they incur a fearful responsibility indeed if' they neglect or postpone a recourse to that additional number of counsellors in whose advice there is, or ought to be, wisdom. We know that there are persons who are quite incre dulous as to any good being expected from the Legislature ; and who are ready enough to ex claim, " But what can Parliament do !" Such people have only to go one step farther, and ask, "Of what use is any Parliament at all ?"—a question which, we trust, we shall never seriously hear asked. We venerate the Constitution too much to believe that any of its functions, and above all, its most important ones, can ever be come useless, except by their own vice, corrup tion, or neglect. We trust that we are not wrong in entertaining some hope that Parliament, when it meets, will be capable of convincing Mi nisters that there is a remedy, if not for the cure, at least for the alleviation of the grievances of the country. It is true that Parliament has too readily lent itself to the weak and mischievous theories which of late years have been advanced by shallow and experimental legislators. With out the sanction of the " Great Council of the Nation," those wild and absurd doctrines which have tended to break down the prosperity, and loosen, as it were, the foundations of the empire, would have perished in their birth, or only have survived in the harmless memorials of recorded folly. But, after all, it is to Parliament that the country must look for help in its distress, and for hope in its calamity. It has saved the nation before, and now, instructed by a bitter, but im proving experience, we trust it will yet display wisdom and energy enough to save it again.— Morning Herald. The affair of the Whitehall preachers appears to excite a considerable interest ; more, in all probability, on account of the novel principle it involves than from any intrinsic consequences attached to the thing itself. The alleged cause of the measure we understand to be this, that the Chapel has, from the increase of large houses in the neighbourhood, become the resort of more great and fashionable people than here tofore, some or all of whom took a degree of umbrage at the constant change of preachers which the present plan' subjected them to, all of whom were not equally remarkable for eloquence, or rather, perhaps, for that peculiar kind of doc- trine which a well-bred Londcin preacher knows how to instil into " ears polite." The conse quence was a representation to the Bishop upon the subject, who, of course, after due considera tion, came to the determination of abolishingthe preachers in the mass, reserving only two, among whom the income of the whole (301. a year each) should be divided. Whether there was any real ground of complaint against any of the preachers, on the score of delivery, or on account of the dull and abstruse nature of their doc trines, we know not, nor whether a frequent change of preachers he any serious disadvantage to a congregation, will we inquire ; but we con fess that the precedent of apparent innovation thus set, and coming from the heads of the Church themselves (for we do not believe that 'the Bishop of London would determine on such a step alone), is a matter of serious import, and may both justify and lead to consequences which in apparently so small a matter may not have been contemplated. There seems, among all who have alluded to the matter, some doubt as to the source from whence the revenues are de rived ; some alleging them to come from an ex press and private arrangement of Bishop Gib son ; others contending that it is a Royal ap pointment, defrayed out of the Civil List. IH either case, we apprehend, the existing parties had a vested interest, which it would have been both just and prudent not to have deprived them of, and that in so summary a way. We know it is said that they held their offices dur ing pleasure ; but during pleasure does not mean during caprice, but implies that there shall be some good and substantive reason, arising out of a man's own conduct, to justify his dismissal from an office held upon such tenure. We cannot help thinking, too, that this measure implies a slight both upon the Universities and upon the judgment of those who have made these appointments. We can not persuade ourselves that the two Universities of Oxford and Cambridge are not rich enough in good Preachers and sound Divines to enable them to furnish rather more than 24 persons fit to inculcate the plain truths of Christianity, even to the refined ears of the theological critics of Privy-gardens and Richmond-terrace. We con fess that we take our dislike of the measure, in no small degree, from the evident satisfaction which it appears to give to the enemies of the Church. We are no enemies to reform, but we are to spoliation ; and we have lived long enough to see very trifling, and apparently harm less, precedents quoted to justify great and striking wrongs. We hope this will not prove to be an experiment of that description.—/bid. The quarterly accounts of the produce of the revenue for the term which expired on the sth instant have been published, and that the result is far from being satisfactory is universally ad mitted, and too obvious to be denied. - They exhibit a decrease on the gross revenue of the year to the amount of 1,165,449/. This is, by those writers in the interest of the Treasury, re presented to be but a trifling sum. They tell us that the malt duties, owing to certain restric tions, have been unproductive ; but they have not the candour to admit that, if beer and porter be denied to the labourer, whisky and gin have been given him under every mode of bounty and encouragement. In addition to this the sharp and arbitrary manner in which the revenue has been collected for the last twelve months evinces not only the needy, but the desperate situation of the Exchequer. The harassing prosecu tions of the officers of the Excise and the Stamps have ()illy had one object—the screwing as much as possible from the wants of a destitute and nearly insolvent people.— At no period in the history of this country, for the last hundred years, were the creditors of the King so pushed, or the channels of revenue so excessively drained. Informers are in every street—an exciseman at every door—a Custom house officer dipping his hands into every box and portmanteau—and, whether as regards the brewer, the baker, the distiller, or the vender of patent medicines; the same vexatious and cruel and indecent practices arc resorted to. All this is to protect, as the slaves say, the pub lic revenue ; all this is to bolster up a sinking. system ; all this is to provide for the necessities of the State, and keep the lumbering machine a few months longer in motion. But the most melancholy part of this statement, which is pub lished officially, and made up of materials which we are not allowed to examine, and of which, of course, we are ❑ot permitted to form any esti mate, the most melancholy part is, that the pro duce of the Excise has declined in a most lamentable degree. The common people seem to be in a condition far more abject and degrad ing than the black peasantry of the West Indies. They are now deprived . of almost every luxury, They neither taste beer nor spirits, nor consume any one exciseable commodity, in the ratio of one-sixth part of their former consumption. The population is increasing, yet the quantity of taxed articles is considerably .decreased. For the last two years the produce of the Excise has been as follows : Year ending January, 1829 X 18,700,373 Year ending January, 1830 17,749,721 Deerease on the present year t 950,652 This shows no less a sum than nearly a mil lion in the decrease of the Excise during the memorable and disastrous year 1829. Whence does this arise ? It is true there is less beer dank, but spirits are a more profitable source of revenue, and these we are daily told by certain Magistrates arc drunk to excess. Every senile twaddler of the day will tell us that to the exces sive consumption of ardent spirits is to be ascribed the rapid ineicase of crime, the demo ralization of the lower orders, and the mental and physical degeneracy of the people. But do these persons, who dole out such homilies, ever pry into facts ? Do they ever examine public documents ? Do they ever ponder over the dull columns of official returns? If they did so they would not, we are sure, nauseate their readers with so much nonsense. If they would do so we are certain they would deem it a reli gious duty to eat their words, and call upon Dog berry to immortalize them in his own emphatic and magisterial language. Here is the pl a i n an d incontrovertible fact. Here is the secret history ' of this extraordinary inci ease in the consump tion of vitriol, gin, and other ardent spirits. The quantity consumed appears to be but trifling. There is much less drank than ought to be drank. We appeal to Mr. Goulburn if there be half so much con sumed as he expected, and as his necessities re quire. The Excise returns exhibit a fulling off —a palpable and ruinous diminution of nearly a million sterling. Bad as 1829 was, it appears that 1830 is worse. Every seventeenth man in tie realm has been rendered sober from neces sity. Nay, as only adults consume spirituous liquors, and these generally of the male sex, we must take for granted that every fifth man has been placed on a very stinted allowance, if not deprived altogether of this indulgence. We may preach about morality till our lungs are wasted, but to this conclusion we must come at last, that the labourer is the best judge of his own wants, and these are now stinted in England to the mere allowance of the pauper. The country is exhausted, and we defy the Duke of Wellington to persevere in his present policy for six months longer without rendering himself unable to pay the current expenses of the Government, or pre venting a general commotion. But what are the remedies ? This is demanded on all sides. Remedies ! Good God ! who expects remedies from the present Administration ? They do not admit that the country is in a dis tressed state. They do not admit that their policy is a bad one. They do not admit that their measures require any modification or amendment. They even have the assurance to tell us, by the mouths of their organs, that the nation is in a progressive state of improvement, and that time and Providence, without any exer tions on their part, will bring relief. It would therefore be folly, it would be madness, to pro pound any remedies to these men. They re ceive their military pay and their civil salaries punctually. Their garner is full, their cup over flows. They scout the very idea of distress having any existence in his Majesty's wide do minions. They are satisfied with office, its cares, its emoluments, its patronage, its jobs, its honours, and they are moreover satisfied with the present state of things. What is Manchester to them or they to Manchester ? What boots it though the spinning-jenny rusts ? Who are the imported weavers of Spitalfields that their remonstrances should be listened to ? What has Downing-street to do with Huddersfield, or Apsley-house with the throwiug-mills of Macclesfield ? What is Glasgow or Paisley com pared with Walmer Castle, or the complaints of agricultural labourers with the noble pur suits of the game ? Stuff all. True, the Minister cannot conveniently meet the expen ' diture. What of that ? Let it stand over to the next Session. If the clerks in office grumble for their pay, can be not discharge the poorer ones ? If the fundholders evince any alarm, can he not silence them with a threat of reduction ? If his Majesty should sympathise, can he not stop the supplies for the new palace ? If the land owners should seek the repeal of the malt and beer duties, cannot he intimidate them with a Property Tax ? Should they complain of un paid rents, can he not threaten to open the ports to foreign corn ? If the clergy should wince, has he not their church at his mercy ? If the brewers grumble, can he not frighten them with the Scotch and Irish distillers ? In short the power is in his hands, and as a people we must bow before him in the dust, and trust to his well-known virtues and benevolent feelings. We must he silent under the terrors of a gaol. We must be quiet if we stand in awe of the pil lory, the ear-cropping, and the nose-slitting prescribed for us by our humane contem porary of the Gazette de France.—Be it so—we are silent. We wait the troubling of the waters. All is going to ruin ; but, like his Majesty's Ministers, we put our trust in Providence. lluxtering hat done its worst— the caterers of the public revenue have bled us to the last drop—the vampire, like the school master, is abroad, and we have yielded—the times look stormy and we are still—the avenger is behind the veil, and we wait his appearance ; but, when the proper time comes, woe be to those who have inflicted the calamities ! Those who have fortunes to lose are, we trust, making good their defences. Those who have land are, we trust, ready to meet the spoliator. Those who are silent are, we trust, preparing to speak out. Those who have been duped are, we hope, nursing their wrath, and keeping it warm, like O'Shanter's wife. Those who have believed and have been deceived are, we trust, shaking off their apathy, and preparing for the convul sion—the convulsion that must come—the settling day that is at hand. Look at the reve nue, reader—look at tile country—look at the Gazette—and think !—Morning Journal. ELOPEMENT IN HUMBLE LIFE-HUS BAND KILLED BY 'THE PARAMOUR. For the last two or three days the deepest sensa tion has been produced in the little village of Nor wood, arising from the following calamitous event. About three years .since, a young man named Thomas Cuts, who had just attained his 22d year, married a young woman residing in the village, who bore an excellent character, and their wedding was celebrated with much festivity in the village. Cuss arid his wife took a small cottage next to the King's Head public-house, where they continued to live in the greatest happiness and comfort. About five months since, having a spare room, they determined upon letting it, and a young man, a letter-carrier belonging to the post-office, whose station is in Nor wood, became the tenant. In about two months after the postman took up his abode, Cuss went into I the country upon a visit to his friends, leaving his I wife at home ; he was absent about a week, when, upon his return to his cottage, to his dismay and astonishment, he discovered that his wife had ab sconded a day or two before with the postman, taking with them nearly every portable article of furniture in the house. he feelings of the poor fellow upon the discovery can be better imagined than described. On inquiry he learned that his wife had been carrying on an illicit intercourse almost from the moment her paramour. came to lodge at the cottage, and in order to prevent Cuss having any knowledge of the place of their retreat, the postman had, by some means, procured his re moval to town, but the immediate part could not be ascertained, and the unfortunate husband wandered about the village almost bordering upon distraction. • On Monday forenoon last, Cuss happened to be in town, and in pawing along Blackman -street, in the Borough, to his surprise he met the fellow who had carried away his wife. The moment he saw him his feelings were aroused to the highest degree of indignation, and he struck him a blow, which was returned by the other party, who on doing so took to his heels, pursued by the husband; the postman e ndeavoured to take refuge in a neighbouring public house, but finding his pursuer was close at his heels, l ie turn ed round, and raising his umbrella, thrust the point of it into his right eye : the point com pletely removed the eye from its socket, and the poor fellow was almost deprived of his senses. I n the confusion the villain effected his escape, and the unfortunate man was taken to Guy's Hospital, where his case was immediately at tended to by Mr. Key, one of the principal sur geons. Upon examination it was found that the point of the umbrella had entered the orbit of the eye, which, as above stated, was completely re moved. The poor mart endured the most excru ciating agony, and notwithstanding every possible means were adopted that skill could devise, the unhappy man expired about nine o'clock the same night. Yesterday a post mortem examination of the injured part took place by Mr. Key, in the pre• sence of a vast number of other professional gentle men, when it was ascertained that the point had penetrated the brain to the depth of two inches and a half, and had ruptured several of the blood-ves sels, which was the immediate cause of his dissolu tion. C ommunication was sent to Sir Francis Preen:lg, and immediate steps are to be taken to bring the fellow to justice. INSOLVENT DEBTORS' COURT, JAN. 6 John King was opposed by a creditor named John Shearcroft, a tailor. In his examination by his opposing creditor, he stated that he had described himself as a clerk and assistant; but he declined to state by whom he was employed. He acted as clerk aad assistant to a club-house, No. 10, King-street, St. James's. CHIEF COMMISSIONER—DO we understand that you refuse to say by whom you are employed ? Insolvent—lt tnight subject my employer to an dictment. Commissioner BOWEN—We cannot help that : if you do not answer the question you must go back. The insolvent then stated that a Mr. Eppingham and Mr. Disbrowe were the proprietors of the club house. Mr. Disbrowe was since dead, and he did not know where Mr. Eppingham now lived. lie, the insolvent, was not a proprietor. Mr. Shearcroft—Were not you up before the Magistrates with Disbrowe and ? Mr. DUNN, the insolvent's Counsel, told him nat to answer that question. Mr. Shearcroit—Was it not a gambling-house ? Mr. DUNN again interposed, and said that ques tion need not be answered. The insolvent, to further interrogatories, said that he had lived in Clarendon-square, but the house and furniture belonged to Maria Du Puis, whom he had represented as his wife. He swore that he never said that he had plate and jewellery in that house worth 8001, nor did he ever t , ay that he had property to the amount of 3001. a year which no body else could touch. He had had a gold watch, which he sold to a friend in the same business as himself for 211., and he had had a diamond ring, which he pledged. After he left Clarendon-square, which was in 1827, he went to reside at Walcot place, and from thence to Bidborough-street, where Miss Du Puis now lived, and the same furniture was there as had been in Clarendon-square. His salary was 3001. a year, and he had at times pur chased jewellery for that lady. While in BidborOugh street he was arrested. Mr. DUNN, the insolvent's Counsel, called Miss Du Puis to prove that all the furniture was her's. She stated that the houses in which she lived were all taken in her name, and she paid the rents and taxes. The furniture had been given her by a gen tleman nine or ten years ago, and the insolvent owned , no part of it. The COURT thought no. case of opposition had been made out by the opposing creditor, but it was necessary that the insolvent should be remanded to amend his schedule on two grounds : first, he had falsely accounted for his insolvency, by stating that it arose from the expence of supporting his mother and sister, which was impossible from the nature of the evidence; and next, that he had merely de scribed himself in the: advertisements as " clerk and assistant," without stating to whom or us what employ. It was necessary, therefore, that he should , re-advertise, with a full description of himself. The insolvent was then remanded. John Dickenson Drew was opposed by Mr. HALCOMB on behalf of George Oshaldiston, Esq. The insolvent came up to be heard on the 17th of last month, when it appeared his debts were only 644/., and his assets (good, bad, and doubtful) con siderably exceeded that amount. In 1827 he went into the service of Mr. Osbaldiston as his laud steward, and in 1828 he quitted that gentleman's employment. There being an unsettled account between him and his late employer, the latter arrested him on two different actions for 400/, and 500/. ; on his first arrest he deposited 400/. in the sheriff's hands, and afterwards all mat ters of dispute between the parties were referred to the arbitration of a barrister, who eventually found 279/. to be due to Mr. Osbaldiston. The 400/. the insolvent withdrew afterwards from the Sheriff's !lauds, and gave bail; and that sum, with other money which he received, amounting to upwards of 700/, he disposed of, part to pay particular debts, and the rest he spent, no portion of it going towards the discharge of Mr. Osbaldiston's debt. The case was then adjourned for the insolvent to file sonic books The insolvent came up again to-day, when Mr. Commissioner LAW delivered the judgment of the Court. 11e observed that the Court did not intend, by giving a judgment, to impute to the insolvent the commission of any fraud upon his employer; the complaint was, that there being an unsettled account between them, which was referred to arbitration, and the insolvent having lodged ‘koo/. in the Sheriff's hands, professedly to abide the result, had afterwards withdrawn that money, anti appropriated that and other money, altogether to the amount of 7001., to other purposes, not one farthing of it having been allowed to abide the result of the award. It was probable that there was some degree of vexation in the plaintiff's arresting the insolvent twice, but that did not alter the ground upon which this Court was about to give judgment. The insolvent knew that something would be found to be due to the plaintiff, and yet he chose to part with every. shilling of the money he then had. The judgment of the Court was, that the insolvent be remanded for five months from the date of filing his petition. Stephen Taylor, whose case wa4 heard on a former . day, came up this day for judgment. Mr. Commissioner LAW said the case was origi nally heard before him, when it appeared that the insolvent, having had the means of paying all his debts out of a legacy left his wife, determined on paying no one, and put his creditor to considerable expense by vexatiously defending an action. Great stress had been laid on the insolvent's offering his creditor, after "the action was decided, 35/. to dis charge the debt anti costs, amountin g to 721. ; but thatdid not alter the case here; as it appeared, that after his arrest, he delayed filing his petition in this Court until his wife had received the last 50/., and having then got all he could, none of which went to his creditors, he petitioned this Court. The judgment of the Court for fraudulently making away with his property was, that the insolvent be remanded for a period of nine calendar months from the date of filing his petiton. SALT TRADE OF THE NEGROES. Cada Mosto was informed that there was a place called Tegazza, about six days' journey from Iloden, where large quantities of salt were dug up every year and carried on camels to Timbuctoo, and thence • to the empire of Melli, belonging to the negroes. On arriving there the merchalits disposed of their salt in the course of eight days, and then returned with their gold. Ile was assured, that in the countries under the equator, certain seasons of the year were so excessively hot, that the blood of the inhabitants would putrify if it were not for the salt, and they would all die. Front Melli the salt was carried on men's heads to the border of a certain water ; whether, sea, lake, or river. Cada Mosto was unable to ascertain. When ar rived at the water side, the proprietors of the salt placed their shares in heaps, in a row, at small distances, setting each a particular mark on his own heap; and this being done, the whole company retired half a day's journey from the place. Then the other negroes, who were the purchasers of the salt, and who seemed to be the inhabitants of certain islands, but who would not on any account allow themselves to be seen or spoken with, came in boats to the place where the heaps ofsalt were placed, and after laying a sum of gold on each heap as its • price, retired in their turn. When they were gone, the owners of the salt came back ; and if the quan tity on the heaps was satisfactory to them, they took it away and left the salt; if not, they left both and withdrew again. "In this manner," says Cada Mosto, " they carry on their traffic, without seeing or speaking to each other; and this custom is very ancient among them, as has been affirmed to me for truth by several merchants of the desert, both Moors and Azanhaji, and other creditable pet - amts.—hi., Larducr's Cobinct Cyclopcedia. PROPOSED ALTERATIONS IN THE LAWS REGULATING THEATRES. (From a Correspondent.) A measure of considerable importance to the pro prietors and lessees of theatres, and •of great interest to the public generally, is in contemplation, by the revision of the present Acts of Parliament relating to the patents of the " major" theatres, and the 11- tensing of the " minor" establishments; and which it is expected will give rise to much discussion both in and out of Parliament. Mr. Lennard, gave notice of motion lust session (and it is under• stood he will follow it up in the ensuing one), to in-. troduce a bill to repeal so much of the Act of the 10th Geo. 11., c. 28, as requires notice to be sent to the Lord Chamberlain previously to the represents• Lion of any new play or entertainment of the stage, or any addition to an old play. The substance of the 3d and 4th sections of the Act requires notice should be given to the Lord Chamberlain 14 days'. before the acting, &c., and empowering him to pro hibit, if he should think fit. If such notice is not given, the penalty is 501., " and the licence of the play-house shall cease, determine, and become abso , lutely void." These provisions of the Act more especially refer to the patent theatres acting under Killigrew's patent, granted in the reign of Charles 11. Of the legality of this patent, there , : is, however, difference of opinion, even amongst, lawyers, and it is alleged, that granting its legality, it has been infringed ;—the patent theatres having performed old plays, to whick, additions had been male without giving the; required notice. Mr. Lennard's intended bill is to simplify the above quoted act by a complete revision, and to do away with the heavy responsibi lity the patent theatres now labour under. It ►s ,urged, however, on the part of the miner theatres, that Mr. Lennard's proposed bill will increase and confirm the monopoly of the two patent theatres, and serve as a means by which the patentees will restrict the minor playhouses in their performances, the latter being licensed by the 25th of Geo. Ha which authorizes Magistrates to grant, at any Michaelmas Session after 1752, " their license to any house, room, or garden, for public dancing, music, or other public entertainments of the like kind." Now it is well known that the minor theatre+ have for some years past played the regular drama it contravention of the last-quoted act, and a prosecu tion was instituted in 1828, and some years pre viously, by the patentees of Drury-lane Th ea tre against the Coburg, and penalties recovered; a nd here the question becomes of public importance, inasmuch as the proposed new bill may give a power restraining the minor theatres from performing the regular drama, which they still continue to do Di spite of the patents of the great houses. Strong representations have been made to M. Peel, as•. Home Secretary, on the subject, and there is every reason to expect that that Right Honourable Gentle- . man will himself propose some measure to consoli• date the statutes and acts stow in existence, and which extend from the reign of Elizabeth to the 28th of Geo. lll.—Morning Paper. THE MARKETS. COAL Ai A 335. fxl. Killingworth 34 6 Pei tw - 33 0 Percy Bentham- 33 O Pon top Windsor 29 0 32 0 *Fantield Tantield Lc Townley— Willington VVy lank 30 6 31 0 33 6 33 9 WallsEndßewieke&(7o. F 7 Ditto Bell Robson & Co. 34 6 Walls En,t Brown's —. S 6 O Walls End Boundary 33 0 Walls End Carr and Co. 13 3 Ditto Cram1ingt0n........... 31 6 Ditto 35 6 Ships at market, 171%-Sh 'I Lis beat . In structive K ET.—J a n. 6 e ngravings, Walls End N e w m areb,... 355. 9c Alitford, D i Ditto lii Ida --_,... 33 9 Ditto Northumberland 34 b Ditto Perkins and c o . — <3l 0 ' rocen. Ed Ditto Rid& 11'5.......---. 35 6 of Irish Chi Lambton's Primrose .... 34 6 Stobart's Prinirose:—...., 31 0 ' ACKER Walls End Lv0n5.......... St 0 Contains Ditto Springwell ---.. 30 0 &c., the P i Walls End Stewart' s ... 40 6 1 C C u o l i m m La pr n iin esh — ipiing..... 2828 0 i Weil, Mi ss 0 4 Edited by I Hartley ------ 33 6 i • PembertonLlangennech 35 11 ' . 11 1 K NEW Swallow Wood jo o,i Einbellial Warde's Llanelly --.. 33 2 Es:Wards, 8 Holywell Trader ...---- 33 . j ki n „. Tyne small 23 o', - ... o rie? ipe sold. 24%----UnsZ4.l4l. by bfro..Al, N. Porter , ratter, Carte 4 rk , 7e. Publish fs The Ekki g ciate. Price The Musi t e 4420.1 •Anna 454:02 1, iinal. n h elA uvd e a nli k g a ie :t s: 2 v in a s i . ll 46 Peacock's 46 Pea eft v, leased, in ein sY Xearsley's 59 rnereial L ed i Time, T - t Guide*, D books, equal The Brit oth er dc . 1 'Berl COUNTRY CORN MARKETS DURING THE WEEK• Wheat. Barley: Oats. Beaus. — Per Quarter. a. to s. s. to s. s. to s. a. Abingdon— 55 62 32 88 21 yo Andover*. 55 62 22 25 Birminghain--. 04 '7O 32 3B 20 98 •• 30 p 6 ftriclport —.... 541 '74 ted 39 26 34 ..:. Cirencester 46 68 24 42 18 20 Faringdou 54 86 36 40 26 sy —. 46 Guildford 48 74 24 35 20 30 42 Henley 54 83 30 35 20 30 40 Hereford 64 84 38 45 38 40 (l Highworth 62 80 32 42 28 34 58 Maidenhead —.. 65 SA 23 39 22 30 —. 51 Oakingham 86 it; 30 36 18 32 4 2 Reading .--- 44 83 22 42 16 32 —. 41 Salisbury., 48 60 515 34 22 "-32 5 0 Southampton 54 78 37 40 28 32 42 Stroud 66 80 34 38 22 32 46 Tewkesbury 65 87 40 42 90 38 42 Uxbridge 48 86 21 32 19 32 Wantage*. 45 '74 20 36 hi 28 44 Warminster 42 '7O 23 40 22 32v Windsor.—..— .56 (43 24 :83 20 31 53 Worcester—..—...... 70 77 36 40 24 32 54 LEWES MARKET.—Jan. 5. White Wheat (per quarter) £3 00toA3 = 0 ! Bed ditto 2 8 0 g 18 6 Barley Oats, New 0 19 0 1 0 0 Beans 1 9 0 19 0 Oil Cake, New l2 10 0 net thousand. ran. 5. 0 oto 8 0 ; 14 0 19 0 9 0 0 0 Der th 0 18 :6 0 0 0 19 0 rusaud. _ N PRECEE HULL MARKET.—Jan. S. The trade generally continues in a very inanimate and W. H. S. ,Ideas state, and very few business transactions passing% litYs G ents so-day the show of Wheat from the farmers was t o a f a ir , and ' ether P extent, but having scarcely any country buyers down, toes millers selected the best dry parcels on the terms of last week ; other qualities AM bad to quit. The demand-for foreign is very limited, and on the little business doing late prices are supported. There is more inquiry after' good heavy old Oats for feed, but very little demand for the light soft New ones. Beans and Pease meet a Teri.' slow sale, and no alteration in prices. The best qualities of Malting Bsrley maintain late prices, and are taken off rather freely ; middling runs of New sell at late pric,eso and for grinding parcels there appears no demand. Rape' , seed and Linseed without alteration. Wheat, Old —3. 58c 60s New soi. 564 Foreign —s. 5Ss. 6:;s. ln bond... —e --a. — O . Oats, Poland —s. 20s. 245. Old Small or Feed.... —s. 12s. 18s. Foreign —s. 18s. 225. - • 4, Barley, Norf. & Sut —8 YBs. 30s. Liuc. & %Vold -;-8. 265. 28s. Foreign Beaus 28s 30s. S'is. --3,285. 30, Pease, White 3os. Sts. Grey --s. —EL —4° Wares —s 20s. 265. Foreign 21s. 265. ilm3t pe:n h e tot.. t p li i i i D oiauerfi l3° l tt i o oi,d , I . 3 uPerfine this bot.pressed ... Ditto, gilt...„ S uPorfine this g- .10 - .... ~uPer middle 4/Itto, d 0....... 13 i4 °1d° ' it hol e poet ,„9nality. ..... t)tt e , (00 ;. ca +Att e . 11111)erline :autl Ito, do., gni nQ not e ... Perfinellnt P°4 (vario OHL. U do, nos ditto , ditto ins •• 4 pp Per liTh . e . 7l;le . h ot.pr , or flat bordei Rapeseed, in bond ❑one. Free, per last —l. AV. 291. DUMFRIES MA _ &d. s.d. cd. cd; • Wheat, Imp. Bush... 6 6 to 7 0 Butter, itfor Barley 3 4 3 6 Eggs, doz2n O,O O't Oats 2 4 2 8 Beef, per lb. Flour, 141 b. Oatmeal 2 U 2 3 Veal 8 3 0 4 Potatoes, cwt. CATTLE.-The market ta•day was again very shortly supplied, the total number being only 119. The heavy . '' cattle were still very dull of sale. K ETS.—Dec. SO. BIRTHS. On the 6th inst. in Tavistock-squere, the Lady of S. Baker, Esq of a son. On the 6th inst. Mrs. Minn, of Stockhridge-terFAcet Pimlico, of a son. Ou the SOth ult. at Peny-Dree, 'Bret:0118114e, the lad} of Captain Verstrome, of a sou. MARRIED. On the sth inst. at 11Iarylebone, R. B. Clayton, EA' onlyson of Lieut.-General Clayton, of Fulwood.hall, Lap ca,hire, and Courtaile, Wexford, to Catherine Jane, only child of the late Rev. R. Dobson, of Furneux Pellu►uir Herts. On the sth inst. at Richmond, Surrey, J. Quitter, Esq• of Hadley, Middlesex, and of Gray's-ion, to Amelia third daughter of G.C. JnliuN, Esq. of Richmond. On the sth inst., at Edmonton, J. Carrick, Esq of Southgate, to Caroline Jane, daughter . of W. Hammond, Esq. of the same place. DIED. On the Gth inst. at Epso►n, after a short illness, Sir James Alexander. On the 4th inst. Cruttell Pierce, Esq. of Bath.placci Peckham+. On the 28th ult. T. Etenham, Esq. late of Newport' Salop, aged 34. 011 the 2Sth ult. at Southampton-place, New-roadf Turn. Ashlin. On the 4th inst. at Croydon, George Steinham, Esq. On the Ist inst. Miss Mathews, sister• of Mrs. R• Andrews, of Stannaore. • On the sth inst. Jame•, only son of Mr. J. Griffin, of Hatton-garden, aged 34. On the 4th inst. Sophia, wife of Mr. Lyndon, 01 Gerrard -street, Soho, aged 41. ParNEED A 1 ,11) P6II.ISHED BY AIUItDO YOUNG, At rug Suzi OF at KA 112, STALIN* Lozwas. .3r I ' r s W' kW of t 1 forc e bi ni g r atitude 1 kal receive ti ns at a &tea in in Bound 3 celebrated At les. Contain by various Lahed at 2 Embellish( bound in xi Superbll most beaut Sce. from F eminent A Inn% for 1: graving of greatly aup Elegant! engravings T• Lawren Vette. T Siddezis as Contain' from .paisti from the m halted at 1: TMs •ol 13 fine eng the *orks butions, in the day. This hes fished with ter, Warren among oth r of Jairus," U. Rey; Thor at 12s. a A New 1 Balled with hound in ail at 6a. 6d. Embellis from drawi l at 58. 6d. Hamilton graying, by most celebr at 12,. Contains Artists, bou fished at 15 Neatly Ix Sold at 10a.