The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-10-02 00:00:00

MATRIMONIAL SCHEMES.

Amotigst the number of new Institutions that bare 'prong
up in this age uf invention, is one for affording facilities to
persons who may be desirous of entering into the goodly
inate of matehnony. The office of the Society is in the
City ; and any lady or gentleman who may sigh for a
partner has only to become a subscriber, and send a proper
dneription of personal and other charms, which will be
duly registered at the: office, and opportunities given fur
apeetly introductions. The prospectus of the Institution
lays i: down that " thousands live a life of celibacy, not
freen choice hut prudent.:: and the reesnos arc obvious; it
is because, iu a limited circle of acquaint4oce, persons of
suitable ages, dispositions, and circumstances, cannot be
feeni." After pointing out the especial ber.eftts of their
plat), the projectors hold out the following inducement to
there who will favour them with their money :—The Sub-
cirri:as arc to be furnished with a list of theeriptions, and
whet: one occurs likely to suit, the parties may correspond;
akul if mutually apprueed, the interview may be afterwards
arranged.
':Le projectors or the above scheme for limiting the
rice of bachelors and old maids, no doubt expect to get a
brokerage on fortunes, somewhat after the fashion of these
things in Genoa. In that city, we arc told, there are mar-
riage-b:okers, who have pocket-books filled with the names
of the martiagreable girls of the different classes, with notes
of their figures, personal attractions, fortunes, &c. These
broken go about endeavouring to arrange connections;
and when they succeed, they get a commission of two or
three per cent. upon the portion. Marriage at Gatoa is
quite a matter of calculation, generally settled by the pa-
reatt or relations, who often draw up the contract before
tbe parties have seen one another; and it is only when
every thing else is arranged, and a few days previous to
the marriage ceremony, that the future husband is intro-
duced to his inn n led partner for life. Should he find
fault with her manners or appearance, he may break oft'
thematch, on condition of defraying the brokerage, and
any other expenses incurred.
' A recent travelier in the United States gives an account
• of a matrimonial lottery, which was formed there with be-
nctielal ettects. At a wedding in South Carolina, a young
lawyer meved, " That one man in the company should be
seiected as president ; that this president should be duly
sworn to keep entirely secret all the communications that
should be forwarded to him in his official department that
night; that each unmarried gentleman and lady should
Write his or her name on a piece of paper, and under it
place the name of the person they wished to many ; then
band it to the president, for inspection ; and if any gentle-
man and lady had reciprocally chosen each other, the pre-
aideut was to inform each of the result; and those who
Lad not been reciprocal in their choice, kept entirely
secret." After the appointment of the president, commute-
canons were accordingly handed up to the chair, and it
was found twelve young gentlemen and ladies had made
reciprocal choices; and the traveller states that eleven of
the twelve matches hail been solemnized ; and that the
young gentlemen of eight couple of the eleven had declared,
that their diffidence was so great, that they certainly should
not have satire-arid their respective wives if the above scheme
bad nut been introduced."

The opening of Drury-lane theatre is, we understand,
deferred until Saturday, the Nth of October, when Mr.
Elliston intends, on the first night, to present the public
with a new piece, by the author of Pride shall hare apt!.
George Colman is said to have written a comedy for
Drury-lane theatre, in which Elliston is to be the hero.
Reynolds, the dramatist, has been rusticating at Bou-
logne 'luring the summer ; and it is reported his time has
been employed in the construction of a new drama, in the
perfermance of which Decrow and his equestrian troop
will be engaged.
Abbot, the lessee of the Dublin theatre, left town on
Thursday evening, to commence his management. Several
of our popular actors and actresses are engaged to perform
in Dublin during the seam.
When Cibbsr was within a fcw days of 84, a friend told
him he was glad to see tam look so well. " Faith," said
he. " it is very well that I look at all."
The population of Rome, which in 1815 was 198,384
souls, amounts in 1823 to t 35,510.
The new Church at Chelsea sill be consecrated on Mon-
day the 1811: inst. (St. Luke's day).
Doves, Seer V9.—The new 'try dock is now in a per-
fectly fit state to receive shipping.
Gatti Newarareas.--The following newspapers are
now published in Greree:—At Missolonglii, the Greek
Chrol:ele (in Greek); the Greek Telegraph (in several
languages); at Hydra, the Friend of Me Laws (in Greek);
at Athens, the Aliens Free Press (in Greek); at Psara,
the Posra Newspaper (in Greek). All the above, in con-
sequence of an arrangement made, may now be obtained
by giving orders through the English Foreign Post-
olnee.

An arrangement has been made by the Commissioners of
Chelsea Hospital for the payment of the out-pensioners of
that hospital in future at Oxford-market; instead of Chel-
sea as heretofore. For this purpose the Commissioners
hare taken a lease for seven years of the large Hall in the
centre of the market, which has been fitted up for the
above use, for which it is peculiarly adapted, on account of
its spaciousness, and also as having four distinct entrances.
The new place veil be brought into operation for the first
tic.:: this morning, when the quarterly payment of the
pensioners will ceounenee.
Extract from the Log book of the brig Courier, Captain
Slainwaring, from New South Wales to London :—" May
1621, let. LS. 57. South, long. 138. 12. West, at
r. w. strong brie.iea, with dark equally weather, felt a
severe shock a-lna,l, as if the ship had struck; she would
not answer her helm, but paid round off', the man at the
helm saying he could not move it to bring the ship to her
course; at that instant the Chief Officer, Mr. John Mor-
rison, observed the tail of a whale considerably above the
water, with which it struck the ship on the larboard
quarter with such violence, that it made her shake fore and
aft; in consequence of which hauled the mainsail up, let
run the foretop-sail halyards, sounded the pumps, and
were relieved from cur apprebensiens by finding the ship
made no water."