The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1810-05-01 00:00:00

COMMON MILL.

13Y THE MAYOR.
To the Master and Wardens of the
Company of
These are to require you to rause your Beadle to give
uotice to all the Liverymen of sour Company to appisir at
Guildhall, no Friday, the ath day of May uext, at twelve of
thy cluck at noon, in their livery gowns, To take into run-
sides stion the alarming assumption of Privilege, by the Ifii-
outirsble the House of Cumulous, of arresting snit iiiipr:sula.
during pleasure, the People of Eilelland, for tilt...neer tug-
lambic in the usual Courts of Law." Hi recd. WI out.
Peed this 85th day of aptil 1810 WOfIuTHORPE.

L4.IiTASTER LENT ASSIZES.

Before Sir Simum Le BLAMC, Knight.

ASSAULT IN A CHAPEL.
CAL !ICE, V MONK.
Mr Sc A R LILT, Counsel for the Plait, a, described
the nature of this us-cult. It w..s one which was
aggravateui, not by the violence with which it was
attended, but by the place in which it was com-
mitted. Many of the trials for assuitite, which had
occurred iu the course of the Assizes, bad origi-
nated in public house quarrels, and, therefore, the
Jury had justly marked their leprebension of them,
by limittiug the damage!. to the loweat dessontina-
lion of the earwig Coln. la the present iostauce,
he trusted the Jury, though the personal injury Was
trifling, would mark their disappinhation of the
Defeuilatiesconduct, by giving exemplary damage..
The place iu which the assault in question oc-
curred, was one sac►ed, by its being consecrated
to public divine worship; it was a Chapel, called
Douglas Chapel, to the township of Ninth, so
the county of Laiscaster ; the au inhabit-
ant of the township, had been 1,,r upwards of Su
years in the constant habit of att.m.!ing Douglas
Chapel, NMI OCCUrying a particular pew ; on the
Sunday, when the assault in question took place,
lie had gone there as usual; shortly after the De-
fendant eutered the Chisucl, amid came towards the
same pew; the Plaissiiff civilly and courteously
opened the dour to adiuit bim,whets the Defendant
imitated elik dragging him out. and, its execution of
his purpose,"violentfy assailest.tim, and, in the act
of pulling I ' out oft he pew, Cr... tared his shins ;
the officiating Clergyman, the R"v. Mr. Johnson,
was just coating up-the aisle, and. of course, he in-
quired into the cense of the tumult ; upon being M-
ho-wed, lie reptiommded the Deleisdant, who sot
only justified what he had done. but, in the coarsest
leaguer, expressed his determination to repeat it.
The first Witness called gave bust au issilistinct
account of the transaction; and, on his cross-exami.
tiat:og, he as. I, the Plantar had acknowledged to
him, that the action was carried on without his con-
sent.

Mr. Johnson the respectable Clergyman of the
Chapel, stated, that, oil the Sunday the assault kook
place, he was •111V,I.C11)g up the middle aisle, when
lie observed the congregation all standing up. and
soon noticed Mr. Monk in the act of forcing the
Plaintiff out of the ; be sent fur Mr. Monk
into the vestry, nod repies.nited to him the proba-
ble consequences of his violent and illegal conduct;
-the Dereliction replied, that he was iiiitemilitied by
'Squire Jones. that he would turn the Plaintiff out
of the pert oil every sob aqiuelit Sunday, and kick
his b—k--. The Witness remonstrated with
him. but the Defendant said, that Mr. Jones would
keep him harmless.
Alr. PARK iiiiiititained, that this was on action as
frivolous as any that mid breu tried. Ile pro-
nounced • just panegyric upon his own tolerant
principles in to titers 01 religion, and expressed even
his veneration for topic who deviated from the faith
to which he was Atilt:lied, but, in the present case, he
considered that i he Minister of Douglas Chapel had
not acted as the apostle of peace, but had foment-
ed a dispute, winch, without his interference, would
never have hi en brought into Court. The Learned
Counsel sea, in the course of his address, extremely
severe in his remarks upon Dr. Johnson, the
Preacher at Dongles Chapel.
Dr. Johnson interrupted him, and expressed great
iiithgnation at the litallUti in which the Learned
Counsel had observed upou his conduct. He said,
that the sacred character be hi ht was not to be
trifled with or aspersed by the flippant observations
of a Barrister, however high he might dunk of his
own importance. Ile stated, VIM, conceiving his
panishiotier to have been ill treated, he had applied
to the Bidtop of Chester to grant him a faculty con-
firming his right to the pew, which lie had enjoyed
for 30 years. and that he hod thought it his duty to
afford him all the protection su his power.
Mr. SC A RIAT (Powered, that it had been remark-
ed. near 2000 years ago. with reference to an orator
who had undertaken a bad cause, Yeats laments:est
',rater Antonian. He wis surprised that. consi-
desing the religious turn of mind of his Learned
Frirud, no one should have been found to advocate
the propriety of an assault cotousitted in a church,
except Mr. Pal k.
Tie Leanief JUDGE, after taking an impattial
view of all the eitconitintoces, was of opinion, upon
the whole, that it was not the sort of anion which
ought to be encouraged by tt Court of Law. He
considered, that it would tall, with snore propriety,
within the scope of so ecclesiastical jurisdictioi.
The Jury accordingly gave 'uusual damages.

The 11th regimeiit of infantry, which on Fr...ley
arrived in Strutload, Bow, &c. is under orders for
foreign service.
Wednesday, the 7dth EirAiintot of Foot passed
through Glasgow, ea their wzr.to Ireland.
Wednesday and Thursday, the Stirhagshire Mi-
liti s marelicd fruits Glasgow for Edinburgh Castle.
Thursday forroomi, the 15th Regiment of Fo..t.
(2il battalion) from Dundee, arrived to the barest Its
of
We have been informed by a Correspondent, that
two affne, of honour have recrutly been the subject
of griver..l emiversatiori in the neighbourhood of
Berry-ho ad ; the one between Lieut. of the
Royal Navy. If iwl Mr. E—, .surgeons: the other be-
tween Sir "a' ••• and the first untied Gentleman,
witir swords ; in both isittances, uo serioits cause-
triencet occurred.
A duel was fought some mornings since behind
11111 l Inny.lsoase, between Mr. the eon of a
I-molter in the City, and a Solnoierit to the East
Losislrin Militia its con7equeisce of some trifling
divote ai the Lady Stiyorr'ss's Ball on Mouday.
After discharging their pistols in the air, their
seconds interfered, and terminated the affair with-
out bbtodidted. .

The stair kavoimte, Capt. Far Maw. from Sierra
Le +tie, bound to London, win, h arrived bolt week
in the Channel. is laden with a valuable cargo of
ivory. gun. casiewntsl. &c. She sailed from Sierra
Lin-e six weeks sister. and brines no particular
Mr. Dour:Las, chyrged with dispatches for
Gov's inured, came leis,enger in her. He brought
!emit• twit enormous soaker ; they are ..tt gently and
that a child silly handle tnem without the
least daager ; they are daily fad with rive; one of
them is about seven feet in length. mid the thick.
nese of a tout's leg, the other uvt quite so large.

FIFTH REPORT
Iraa al 7117. COMMITTEE ON THE mimic EXPEF-
-1)1111al, &c. OF 111111, UNITLO

OFFICE of PAYWASTIFit of :WAHINES, and AUDIT
of .UNT3.

The Committee appointed to ()MAIM and euneider whet Re-
gulations mid Cheeks hare bee. esialdistied, ia order tu
cusitroul t *evil a brauchi .01 ILO Pistilli: Expeurlituri iu
Crest Britain and Ireland, red how r. lilt a u.r b..
been effectual ; and what further measures niche adopted
fur reducing any part of the said Expeudituie, or diminish.
big the amount ut Salaries and Emoluments, wit►out 4,-
Ird:bent to the I'ubht service ;

Being informed that ft convitlrrahle default had
been discovered an the Otice of Paymaster of Ma.
rioev, hare directed their firat inquilies to the na-
ture of the regulatiuus under which that depart-
ment is conducted, with a view to as...vrtutm whe-
ther tho.e regulatious are iniu&cieut iu them-
selves, or ill adapted to tlva service, or whether there
has been a culpab!c or negligent departing from
them.

The Paymaster, whose fluty is confined to the
payment of the marines while on shore, presents
monthly accounts to the Admiralty. stating Ins re-
ceipt and expenditure dui ing the last mouth, and
en estimate of the probable dvinands upon him fur
the current month, together with a statement of
the b flances remaining in his hands on the lirst and
last days of the preceding month ; in consequence
of whodi *yip:a:Amu, an order is forwarded to the
Navy Office, accompanied by a copy iif the mouth-
ly isecomit, direitiog en inquest to be issued by
the Treiraiirer of the Navy, who is the general
hanker, as the Navy Office is the general office of
account fur every branch of naval service.—A state-
ment of the balances in the Pay maater's hands, in-
cluded in the mutually account, is traminsiitei with
the order for each imprest to the Navy Office.
Tins statement of the bat:awes iu these monthly
accounts 'Words, in appearance, a secure and con-
stant guard against any unitise accwoulalion of
money in the hands of the Paymaster : but this ap-
pearance is delusive ; for these accounts being ne-
cessarily unaccompanied with vouchers, do not ad-
mit of any effectual check, until the delivery, at a
subsequent period, of the general annual account.
The consequence of which hex been, that they have
unfortunately produced the etre*. t of preventing ra-
ther than forwarding any useful examination into
the real state of the finvitisster'a balance, ;Awl seem
to have precluded all auepicion either at the Admi-
ralty or the Navy Office, of any improper accumu-
lation of money in,lus hand.. .

lii the printed re.,,euldtions unit instructions rdit.
live to the Royal Nlarine Forces while ou shoe.,
the seventh article directs, that the f).l master is
to pass an account with the Co.uuusiuu ft/ Or the
Navy ; at the end of every year, he is lo deliver a
general account of all money 'cc, teed and paid
within that time." If it was the only of the
to pass. it becaine the duty of the Commis-
sioners of the Navy to examine; and your 14:41,11
mettee cannot view, witl t greet dissati•faction,
the delay which has prevailed in the delivery of the
general annual accounts ; the causes of winch will
be notired hereafter.

The practice of the Office. with respect cache ao-
moots of the Pa...master of Marin..., appears to
have been this : the monthly accounts already al-
luded to, which sic trireqm! telt bM the Admiralty
to the Navy Office, receive to particular examina-
tion, and, indeed, do not adult of being checked,
as before stated, except in the or: icles of imprests
and balances, brought over ft our the preceding
month ; but an examinatiou of these items alone
would obvioasly nut aces tam the correctness of the
hal ince rein.tinitig.
The general annual account, when delivered, is
ex.imined with tile imprest ledger on the tine side,
and with the Accatisitant's vouchers or. the other,
by one or inure of the clerks in the office of bills
and accounts; by them the balance stated by the
Paymaster is confirmed or corrected. A statemeut
is then made uut by the permm who has examined
the account, of the disbursements ouly, detailing
the nature of theta mud of the vouchers, with °biter-
trationsois any irregularity in either,oti the authority
under which the payments were made, or on any other
circuinstauce deserving notice. The statement so
made out by the examining deo k should be checked
by the chief clerk, and is then submitted to the
Committee of Accounts; and it is their duty, after
due consideration, to direct the SUMS 4/161)UrSed anti
properly died, to be allowed towards clearing
such imprest as may he standing out against the
Accountant. To what sum this imprest may
amount, is not however brought under the notice
either of the Committee of Accounts, or of the
Board (sinless specially called f.r), the statement
itself. not containing the imprests, or the balance
remaining; and the original annual account never
undergoing their revision. And here your Com-
mittee cannot but express their sinprise, that the
general practice of the office should have sanctioned
so extraordinary an omission in the saterneut of any
account. as that of the SIMI owing by the Ac-
countant to the public: and that in this particular
instance the examining clerks should not have
deemed it their duty to bring under the immediate
notice of that Committee, an article of such rasa-
aitade and importance. They trust this practice
has been at length etli-ctivilly corrected by a minute
of the Navy Board. dated 17th linuary, laid. lii
other respects it appears to your Committee. from
the inspection of many of these stitetnents, which
have been laud before them. that the disbursements
in the Paymaster's accounts have received an atten-
tive sod accurate investigation; and it further ap-
pears, from a document prAuced by the Navy
Beard, that few of the accounts in the office of bill,
and accounts are in arrear, and none greatly so; and
that the balances of none of them are su large as to
ext itr

•
The Honoursh'c George was appointed
Paymaster of Marines by th.• Board of Aglinnalty,
J9th March. 1793. and.re-app 1111 l tad as Paymaster
and Inspector 9th May, Mi, with iiirtietilir di-
rections is to the mode in which lila departmeot
was to, he conducted, enjoining him rn make fre-
quent visite to the different div.•sinsis and stations of
marines, from the waist or neglect of which great
abuse, had ptevaileil. Hi. s..lary was raise.' by Coat
warrant to 10001. dear of all deiluetirm., w.ih an
allowance of SJOI. fur his clerks; IWO. f'.1'1"""
rent, &c. ; and a further allegiance for tray...lll3K
expellees actinely incurred. No examination IS

the state of his aeconntss which tem ,fined dneettl
for BeVell years, at the period of this rP-appotot.pc
appears to have taken place, nor was the &multi.
hia balance I: oov.ti or inquired into; s hich Is
isecertarned to have been, at the end of th. •
1804, 177,8471.
His to counts, which hid been pasted t
•bla r..ollsrity and exipalitaxii tts 'he ys.r
and 5, fell him) ;;rest ;are. .r to ti e
bolt' as to the time of delivery and the as •
of thew.

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