The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-05-22 00:00:00

DISTRESSED MANUFACTURERS.

The collections at the places of public worship in Leeds, on behalf
of the funds of the Society for the relief of the unemployed poor.
have been liberal in the extreme—in some caner unexampled, and
are equally honourable to the zeal of the Rev. Advocate*, and to
the liberality of their congregations.—On Sunday morning, a Ser.
mon was preached in the parish church, by the Rev. Richard
Fawcett, M.A. Vicar, when the sum of 71/. WAR collected. At the
acme time a sermon was preached in St. Paul's church, by the Rev.
Miles Jackson, when the collection umounted to 1411.9 x. 7d. On
the came day, u sermon was preached in Call-Lane chapel, by the
Rev. C. Crawford, atter which a collection was made amounting
to 31/. IPe.

BRADFORTI.—We feel great pleasure in having to state, that,
In addition to 1000!. stated in our last paper es having been received
from the London fund, for the town of Bradford, another grant of
3001. has been transmitted, for the relief of the unemployed poor in
the numerous townships of that extensive parish: and in conse-
quence of a separate application from Wilsden, 1510/. was received
on Wednesday morning for the relief of that township. which is
also in the parish of Bradford. It is due to the Rev. Henry Heap,
tha worthy vicar of Bradford, to state that he has been indefatigable
in his exertions for the relief of his suffering parishioners.
HUDDERSVIELD.—The subscriptions already received, incul.
ding the 10011/. transmitted by the London Committee. amount to
upwards of 2500/. The plan adopted by the Hodslorstield Com-
mittee has been to appoint local committees, to visit families, and
to raport thereon to the general committee, who apportion the
amount of relief to the exigencies of each case. The distress has
been found most severe in the townships of Kirkkeaton,Almond-
, bury, and Kirkbutton.
The workmen of Alr. John Fisher. of Langroyd Bridge, have
subscribed the handsome sum of 301. Is. 3d. ter the relief of the
distressed poor in the neighbourhood.
Keighley participates largely in the distress produced by want of
employment, as may he inferred from the following facts t-61191
operatives have been visited, out of which number 4524 are cont.
pletely destitute of employment, and the remainder ore only nsr-
daffy employed, none of them more than three days n_week. Veg.
terday ee'nnight the sum of 70!. was distributed at the vestry of the
parish church, to the most necessitous. and such was the eagerness
to obtain admission, that a poor woman was nearly crushed to
death. A subscription has been set on foot for the relief of the ex-
treme distress. lOW. has been subscribed by six individuals, and
we trust it will be swelled by numerous liberal donations.
Last Monday a meeting of the inhabitants of the town and
neighbourhood of Beverley. was held in the Guildhall, John Shep-
herd, Esq. Mayor, in the Chair, fur the purpose of promoting a
subscription towards the relief of the distressed manufacturer'.
The Meeting was opened by an impressive and pathetic address
Rom the Mayor, in which he enforced the duty of liberality at the
present season with so much effect, that a subscription was in,.
mediately entered into, amounting to 544!. 3s. Amongst a number
of liberal beenefactions, we observe the names of Richard Bethel,
Esq. and Richard Watt, Esq. for 1001. eat:h.—Leeds Afcreury.
A 3leeting was held yesterday in the Assembly Booms, with a
view of raising subscriptions for the relief of the manufacturing
districts. The Solicitor-General moved the resolutions, and in-
formed the Meeting that, amid all the distress, which was unpa-
ralleled in point of extent, not one single act of riot hail been corn.
mitted in any of the manufacturing districts (of Scotland.) Ws
understand that, at the close of the Meeting, upwards of 1,3001.
were subscribed in the room.—Edinburgh Paper, Ilith inst.

. ,
MEETING OF THE INHABITANTS OF EDINBURGH.
Or; Wednesday, May 17, a meeting of the inhabitants was I o'il
in the Assembly RIIOIIIS, the Lord Provost in the chair, for the
purpose of setting on tout a subscription for the relief of the dis-
tresses which prevail in the manufacturing districts.
The LORD PROVOST said—l ant sorry that the circumstances
of the times render it unnecessary for me to olFer any apology for
your attendance being requested here to-day. In our own city an.'
neighbourhood, he added, there are numbers of industrious families
thrown out of employment, and in a state of actual want. In the
west country we know the distress is very great. In the Paisley
district alone there are upwards of 8,800 turned out of work, and
without the means of subsistence, notwithstanding a heavy assess.
ment and large contributions made in that neighbourhood for their
temporary support. In Glasgow their situation is equally bad, and
in the northern districts, particularly Arbroath and neighbourhood,
the situation both of the merchants, and of the manufactuting ope.
ratives who have been thrown idle, is most alarming.
The SOLICITOR•GENERAL then read an account which he had
just received, of the extent of the distress which prevailed in Ar-
broath, and which stated that there were at present 2,243 persons
out of employment there; in three weeks more, 1,833 would be dis-
li, charged, on Ankh the work they had in hand ; and farther, that
it was impossible culate when commerce would assume a bet-
terstate, as almost the manufacturers had, from the pressure of
the times, been compilled to suspend their payments. Front the
documents in the hands of the Learned Gentleman, it also apneared
that in Paisley 200 families were entirely uneamloyed, including
about 8.000 individuals.
The Loan PROVOeT then stated that he had just received a
note front the Earl of Moray, authorizing him to put down his
name for Inf. (Applause.) The city of Edinburgh gave 200
gu Meas.
Subscription papers were then handed round, and upwards of
1,5001: was subscribed in the rooms.

TRADE OF Amenica.—The value of merchandise im-
ported into the Uniterl Stays, in the year ending the 30th
of September last, was 96,310,075 dollars. The value of
exports 99,535,388 dollars, of which 66,90,715 dollars
wer..! domestic produce.
LIVERPOOL AND MAxcitss-riAt RAILIVAT.—We are
happy to learn, that this grand undertaking will be cm-
menced in about two months. It is sai I that it will require
at least three years to complete it. A general meeting of
the proprietors will he held in Liverpool on the t:flth inst.
for the purpose of choosing Directors and other officers.
JUNCTION OF THE RIVER LUNE AND THE LANCASTER
Cartm.—The first outgoing vessel that has come into Preston
by way of the Lancaster Canal,arrived on Turst;ay morning last.
It was the Sprightly sloop, Thomas Miller. master, belonging to
Mr. John Bolton. Site arrived in Diasson Dock, with a cargo of
slate from Dutton, on Sunday: anti being locked up into the
ssnal, brought her cargo to the slate yards in this town, without
having been under the necessity of discharging at any interne.
thine place. The advantages of this line of conveyance will be
very great in
_this branch of merchandise, conaiderablel tss and
expense having been always incurred in the discharge and re-
leading of so heavy and brittle an article as slate and until
this new junction was made, this inconvenience could not be
avoided. •
LONGEVITY.—There is now living in the township of
Alston, Cheshire, three very respectable persons, two brothers and
one sister, who have never been married, and whose united ages
amount to 236 years, Thos. Hothersal 94, Was. Hothersal
Nancy 11 nth crssl 90.

PORTSMOUTH', SATUItUAY, MAY W.

--- -
Yesterday the Finsbury transport, Lieutenant Rohm Morn.i,
sailed for Mullin, to land 3lajnr Ctitt's moripany of Royal Attila
and take thence the campers y row s•ationed that. to Halts
fax. Captains Pratt and %Vileni, with M men of the Alst Iterria
ment. embarked here for the same destination.—Thatpshire
legroph.
The vessel called the Turestle, rigged and worked on the new
plan, by Lieutenant Situ Wham, of the Navy (noticed in our
last paper) arrived here on Monday evening. She encountered
some very heavy weather in the Channel, in her passage from Sal.
combe, in which she was obliged to bent up the whole way against
an easterly breast.. She is only six feet beam, and the men who
navigated her declare. that had she not been a remarkably tine boat,
she must hare gone to the bottom. lier appearance is handsome,,
and her sails set anti stood well, and are reduced and increased by
reef boards (not reef bands) at the botmm ; and as her masts are
solely supported by wrought iron pivots, with single cross trees.
winch is the inventor's woken mode of constructing them ; and
when it is considered that they are more than half the height of the
masts of vessels of 70 tons, it is presumed that when the stronger
meil:nd of supporting them is resorted to, viz. that of cross-trees'
working between circular sweeps--Met the plan is applicable to
coasting vesuls of the largest description, which may be sailed whit
fewer hands—the duration of their voyages would he curtailed, and
• greet saving of wear and tear of rigging. Lieutenant bhuldham
is about to lit nut a coasting yawl on the same eoustructiow, and
rigged on the same principle.—lbid.

NEW LAW COURT'S.

Whether the exceptions taken to the structure of the
New Law Courts, caa be well sustained, is not *alibi our
province to determine. To the public the following answeri
put in by Mr. SOANE, must be completely satisfactory..
Cuilibet in sea arte en:dentists: est, is the received maxim of
Westminster Hall, hut Mr. SOANE does not seem to have
heen admitted, in the present instance, to the full benefit
of it. Nothing appears to have been done, on his part,
without previous consultation with the Judges, and the
Chiefs °flip! liar. The result proves, although in questions ,
of late such consultations may be useful, that in affairs cif
taste, it is by no means true, that "in a multitude of
(..ounsellias there is wisdom.- In all that concerned tie
elements of Civil Law we would pin oar filth implicitly on
the Four Courts, but in whatever concerned the dements
0. Architecture, we should prefer the judgment of Mrs
SOANE, to the colleCtive opinions of all the gentlemen of
the Long Rohe.

TO THE EDITOR (IF THE BRITISH PRESS.
SIR,— Several of the public prints continninii to give detached
observations respecting the New Lew Courts, I trust yogi will do
me the favour to insert in your columns the following statement of
the circumstances attending the erection of those builtilngs.

I am, Sir. your very obedient t•;erras.t,
Jou N SOANZ,

Lincoln's Inn Fields, May 20, IC2O.

In July 1820, I was directed by the Lords Commissioners of hlii
Majesty's Trea•ttr to prepare plans for New Courts of Law, oa
the site of the old buildings connected with Westminster Hall.
Having surveyed the premises, and made plans of the Old Courts
rind their appurtenances. I consulted the different officers of the
several Courts, to know what improvements or additional accorna
modations they would consider necessary in the event of New Courti
bring erected.
Several Designs were made and submitted to the Lords of thd
Treasury, who after having attentively examined the same, directed
me to lay them before the Judges of the different Cowls, for their
opinion and approbation.
The plans were accordingly submitted to the Judges at differeni
times, and likewise shown to some of the Gentlemen of the Bar
upon these occasions various alterations and improvements wend
suggested, and their Lordships most strongly recommended that
the Courts should not be made too large, the Old Courts being suf.
ficiently capaciour.
The plans', altered agreeable to the suggestions Made to me. toge-
ther with an estimate of the probable expense attending the esecu•
tion of the several works, were then presented to the Lords Com.
missioners of his Majesty's Treasury, who were pleased to riporove
the same, and directed me to commence the buildings without
delay, and to have them completed with all possible despatch.
The design thus sanctioned contained seven Courts, with Retir-
ing Rooms for the Judges, the King's Renombraneer, the Sera
g.stnts, the Barristers, the Prothonotariev. and other Wheal
attached to the different Courts, and three itoo.vrei &c. for the ac-
commodation of the Grand Jury.
The High Court of Chancery, besides a Retiring Room for the
Lord Chsocellor, and the 1100111 s for hie Lordship's attendants, has
a Room for the Masters in Chancery, and the Law Library. and
another for the Barristers ; there is also a large Gallery, wbich,whert
divided agreeably to the original intention, will land separate
necommonation for the students, the public, and others connected
with the Court.

The Court of King's Bench and the Court of Common Pleat
have Galleries fur the RAMC purpose.
To each of the Coons there is a sepnrate entrance from West.
minster Hall, and likewise from St. :Margaret-street, with cehef
subordinate entrances; and also two general lines of communist.
tion, parallel with Westminster Hall, one from the entrance into
the Court of King's Bench to the staircase leading to the House of
Commons.—the other trom the Retiring Room of the Judges of the
Court of King's Bench, ulso leading 111 the staircase of the House
of Commons. This latter communication is unavoidably not in a
straight line ; but this will not be matter of surprise, when it is
collected that the Wilding contains seven distinct Courir, with all
their various and complicated accommodations combined together,
in a situation trammeled with the bottresses of Westminster Hall,
the irregular projections of the old stone building, and other dirF..
rubies not less formidable. _ .

The buildings were began in October, 1822, and by rem: e'er.
film Tubed to the roof early in 1824. In the month of March, in
that year. I heard, for the first time, that objections had lkom tan
to the new buildings; first, that they extended too far into New
Palace Yard; and, secondly, that the exterior was not in the Gothic
cyle.
An inquiry was then invititted, for the purpose of examiolnl
the building, and the works having hem surveyed by the gentlemen
who caused the inquiry, it was resolved " that the exterior of the
building should be in the Ooliie manner—that the entrance irto
the Court of King's Bench from Westntinstee Hall projected t.. 0
far into New Palace Yard—that the Courts were too large, he
rooms next New Palace Yard unnecessary, anti that these rooms
and the Coati of King's Bench should be pulled down, and the
space added to the area of New Palace Yard ;^ and I was direet:l
to make designs upon these ideas.
Many plans were made accordingly, and submitted from time to
time to the gentlemen who caused the inquiry; who, after due de.
liberation, determined that the reduced space was insufficient, that
the buildings next New Palsee Yard should be pulled down, and
the exterior decorated in the Gothic fashion.

Subsequently. different designs •ere made for Oothlcizing the
exterior of the Conrt of King's Bench s and, finally, one of them
being approved, has beel since carried into execution : an estimate
of the e..pense having previously been made, amounting to about
nine thousand pounds.
During the progress of this incio'ry, I stated the fact of the
buildings not projecting further into New Palace Yard than those
erected in the reign of Qieen Elizabeth, and which were recent!t
removed. I also took the liberty of stating, that from all the in-
formation I had collected (trom those, most conversant with the
requisites for the Courts) every part of the new buildings props-1
to be pulled down as useless, was essentially necessary for the bust-
ness of the Courts, and the public accommodation.

- .
As the principal reason assigned for destroying these buildinirt-
was their not symmetrizing with the front of Westminister Hall
to remove this objection, I submitted several designs for Gothociz.
ing the exterior of the Court of King's Bench, very unlike the pre-
sent front, but, in my judgment, more in character with the front
of Wesminister Hall. and at the same time proposing the advan.
Cage of preserving the whole of the rooms (htd usher deconiviods.
liner, already referred to in this statement.
It has been already noticed, that the Judges and other attrin,ritics
had been consulted upon the general design of the Courts, and
preciously to the commencement of the fitting up of the same, picot
were made, chewing the manner in which it was proposed to corn.
plete each of them ; models were also made : and, in onlcr that the
whole should be completely understood by those best ahle to deter.
mine what would be most emeenient, the fittings were put up in
temporary manner, in each Court, so that a competent judgment
might be formed of what the results would be.
These temporary fittings were inspected hy the &ridge. and by
many gentlemen of the liar, as well as by the officers of the Courts;
and the alterations suggested by these authorities, from time to
time, were in every respect. carried into effect.
In respect to the objecnons made to the situation of the Jury Box
in the Court of King's Bench, I beg to observe, that in the original
plan for fitting up this Court, as well as in the temporary fittings,
the Jury Box was placed on the right of the Tribunal; hut it was
afterwards directed to be removed to the opposite side, to enable tha
King's Counsel, ns wider:Nod, to have a separate entrance in;,
the Court. . .

In reply to what has hen said respecting the want of space fad
accommodation in the Court of King's Bench, I have to ototerce,
that the area of the New Court of King's Bench contains 1218 se.
piolicial feet. with seats, 184 feet in length, for the accommodation
of the King's Counsel and the other gentlemen of the liar.
The Court in the Sessions House lately used as a temporary
Curt of King's Benet, and which has been admitted by anent
gentlemen of the Hai :o be sufficiently large, contains ahem 184 f.":
superficial feet, and about 1711 feet of seats to the King's Counsel
and for the gentlemen of the liar.
The old Court of King's Bench in iVestminster Hall contained,
within the walls, about IWO superficial feet, and shoot 125 tect
lineal measure of seats for tne accommodation of the Bar.

More might be added. but. the leading points having been ex.
plained. I am unwilling to trespass further on the ',oldie than i
consider to be absollitely necessa7 for the justification or my pr.,.
fesaional character.

We understand that there are now about fifty prisoners
for trial at Ladeaster, on charges zonn.cteil with the recent
disturbances. IV-bather a spccial emilinission will be issued,
or they will be left for trial at the Assizes, is nut, we be.
•
here, as yet determined upon.