The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-09-13 00:00:00

DOVER, SLPTEMBEIR 11.

This town continues to be very full, and the arrivals of
passengers to and from the Continent arc frequent. By the
Britannia, which camc in yesterday, we lisd a strange vi-
sitor, an Irishman, named Prior, clothed in a sackcloth
shirt, girt round the waist, without bat or shoes, or in-
deed any other article of apparel besides his sackcloth
shirt, except a pair of light trowsers. This poor fellow
left Dover two or three days ago, after reaching it
on foot, with a passport from the French Consul in Lon-
don, fur the purpose, as he says, of getting the Monks
of the Monastery of La Trappe to dispossess him of a
demon, with which he says he is troubled. On arriving et
Calais he was suffered to pass, but in a few hours afterwants
the ~'endarmes were in pursuit of him, and overtook him
at about nine miles from Boulogne. They conveyed him to
prison in Boulogne, where he remained until the Britannia
was ready to sail for England, and then he was taken on
board forcibly, to be returned to Dover. When lie WSW
arrested by the police, he was quite naked, with the ex-
ception of his shirt, but a person who is confined in prison
at Boulogne humanely gave him a pair of trowsers. The
man appears to besane enough in all points, except that of
the possession of the demon, and reasons well upon what
he tails the injustice of sending him away from France when
provided with a passport, requiring the authorities to afford
him aid and protection in case.of aced, merely because he
is clothed in sackcloth, and goez barefooted. On his Ar-
rival at Dover lie was provided st:th 25 francs' in silver,
which were given to him by the police, or by some of the
religious devotees in Boulogne, with wkom lie appeared to
be a great favourite. Indeed, the good old ladies of
Boulogne were quite indignant with the police for sending
away this holy
Apartments bare been ordered at the York Hotel, for
several days put, for the Marchioness of Downshice, who
remains at Calais, waiting for a fair wind and a sn2oOth
sea. Her carriage and luggage were on board yesteidoy
ea3,:v for departure, butt Mr. Dessin, the proprietor of the
hotel wriise s!!e is staying, having discovered that the wind
was unfair, tioy were taken nut again. She is a tolerable
customer at Desst:l'll, and this Way account for the great
attention of the host to the state of ;he wind and fide bes-
tween Calais and Dover.
It ought to he known by our fair cow! trjavomen who
think of making a trip to Paris for the puirs.V of laying
in a good stock of French silk gowns, ant! other '4PPareigl
that the officers of the customs now demand up..
French articles, whether made up or not ; even if"they,
su, al
been worn a little, they are not exempte from duty. Thia '
rigour has proved a sad disappointment to many ladies who
have arrived lately with their trunks filled with French
articles. Since the reduction of duties the quantity .of
goods imported at this port from France has not been con!.
siderable, with the exception of French porcelain. This
forms a leading article of entry in the books, as well for
the regular trade as for private passengers. A great deal
of this porcelain is purchased at Boulogne, where fictitious
bills are made out by the shopkeepers of only two-thirds
of the real amount. Upon the declaration made upon
these bills 30 per cent. is taken, so that, in fact, the Go-
vernment does not receive more than 20 per cent. upon the
real value.

CHELMSFORD, Summit 12.

Mrs. Omits, accompanied by the Duke of St. Albany.
Sir John Dashwood King, and his Lady, arrived at the
Black Boy Inn, in this town, on Friday evening, where
the party remained until Sunday, on the morning of which
day they attended divine service in our church, and at in
Dr. Badeley's family pew, which the Doctor's amiable
lady, with her accustomed politeness, quitted for the ar-
commodation of Mrs. Coutta and her fttends. We regret
that this lady, so remarkable for benevolent acts, had not
deferred her visit for a week, as on Sunday next the annual
sermons will be preached for the benefit of the old charity
school, in this town, the funds of which, we lament to
state, are so low as to deny the posrAbility, without some
immediate and unexpected contribution for that purpose,
of giving to the children of either sex, the suit of clothes
wnich they have never before been, denied. We however
still hope in our next, to be able to record that those Who
had the power also possessed thetwill to avert so cruel a
disappointment to the children. The expense et the cloth-
ing amounts to about
.firty pounds.