The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1822-09-12 00:00:00

FIR ii.

On Friday se'ssight, between rix and metes o'clock is the
manioc during a heavy thunder storm, Ilse lightning was
seen to strike the gore-covering of a abed is the fa►m•yard
of Mr. Cook, at Burton, about two smiles from Lincoln,
which will immediately is flames, and burnt wish great fury.
Several rouges of sheds and amt-buildings, together with the
barn nearly full of wheat, and a new waggon lo►ded is the
barn, were all coasusted.--Tbe tircengines were seat with
all speed insall Lincoln, sad the moat prompt assistance was
tendered by itemisers of people from 'ductile and the ■eigh-
bonring villages. By the greatest exertions a member of bay
sad cora.marks were saved, though the bay-stacks were seve-
ral times on Bee, sad t►e ire was prevented from extending
to the granary mid dwelling-house, sad was got under about
ten o'clock. It commissiested to the corn in the bars
through a loop-hule at the end. The quantity of wheat de-
stroyed is about 50 quarter,. It is matter of astonishntent
to the numerous prams who go to see tire reins how the
stacks were preserved, being within a few yards of such au
immense body of Sr. foe several boars. Fortunately the
wind, which was brisk during the day, bad subsided, or it
would have been impossible. Indeed the activity and per-
severance of those engaged i■ the arduous work is beyond
all praise.

Thursday afternoon another alarm was occasioned by fire
is the neighourbood of Lincoln; ■nd, on account of the
alarming visitation of that elemeut rectally at Burton, much
apprehension was excited in Lincoln by the appearance of a
heavy body of smoke, accompanied with Elaine*, rising oat
of the village of C,anwirk, roar the church. The Armenia*
proceeded immediately to the spot, but we are happy to say
that the lire caused no greater damage ohms the dratruction
of a■ old building, its which wood and (mac, Ste. were
stored, belonging to Colonel S.btho►p. The place bad taken
Are from the ignited state of an adjacent chimney, the sparks
from which, it is supposed, had communicated with the cum-
bustible materials stored in the place.

CALAMITY OCCASIONED BY A THRASHING

IfACHI NE.
.......1....-

It has frequently been oar painful duty to record (matinee•
of the most deplorable calamities which have been awfully
occasioned, in the tt•iahfiag of an eys, by this most due-
gerous of all instrommits. This luckless substitute for the
flail of our forefathers has been said to grind the face. of the
poor by thrashing so speedily the corm of the rich; fur
whilst the former expenses of manual labour are, by this
hastrument, saved to the wealthy, it leaves the poor men des-
titute of employment, and incapable for weeks together of
earning • morsel of bread for his family. We have been led
to t►ese cursory remarks by a truly lamentable event which
lately occurred at Waiaflett All Saints. On Thursday se'''.
night • promising youth of the most active and industrious
habits was attending • machine of the shove deacriptioa,
when his leg unhappily became totalled, sod was in a ma
meat torn from the hare. The horrors of Ibis calamity were
Increased when the boue above appeared so shattered that
immediate amputation of part of the thigh was found to be
indispeorsbly required. This operation, however, we are
happy imstate, was so promptly sod skilfully performed by
Mr. &WON, of Waiofleet, that his patient is already eotwi•
dered to be is a fair way of recovery. Wetherefore sincerely
cherish a hope that the merits of a servos so eminent will
soon be rewarded by the genuine gladness which his heart
will experience, when he can with confidence say to the sal-
ferer's parent, as the rood Prophet did of old, "See, thy SOW
hreth."Boston Gazette.)

The Happy Return, Munro, from Eliot to Naar:, was
driven on shore near Beaumaria on Sunday moraine, and It
was feared would go to pieces; carp expected to be saved.
Extract of a letter from Mr. and Co.
Agents to LLOYD', at Smyrna, dated August 2:—
ss We have just seen a copy of a document 'dikes.
sed by the Austrian naval Captain on this station
to the senior British officer, with a dispatch of the
Austrian Government inclosed, that they do not
acknowledge the Greek blockade its any way what.
ever; and order the Captains of their ships of war
to protect their merchant Bags against violation by
the Greeks in all cases; stating, ■t the came time,
that the orders ore the result of a mutual arrange-
L.ent between France, England, and Austria, and
that their 'hips of war are to act in concert to en-
force this determination. These dncoments we can
vouch for as being authentic and official ; but none
other than the Austrians have received any commu-
nications from their Government on the subject."
Extract from a letter from Malta, dated July
19, 1822:
dn
Captain Smith, of his Majesty's ship Adventure, who
lass been employed fur several years past, wader the orders of
the Lords of the Admiralty, is surveying several parts of she
Mediterranean, and whore able sad indefatigable exertions
in that service have bees attended with the greatest success,
bas lately returned from an aro:Wove seirvey of the coast of
Africa. He left Malta oa the Sib of March last fur Bengazi,
where he arranged with the land party destined to explore
the interior, tender t►e charge of Lieut. Reechy, respecting
their journey to Cyreae. Tbe Adventure th.o proceeded us
to Almildriainheie site arrived on the 13J March. Captain
Smith then made a complete salve, of the two harboters. the
town and its fortifications, and fixed its position as to lati-
tude and longitude. From thence be proceeded along the
iroaw to Catabathmos, look astronunsical observations on
*lmre, at the several ports and headlands, and completed ■
coast survey of the whole distance from Alexandria to
puma, at which place the operations had terminated as
the preceding voyage of the Adventure. By ibis eervice
the hitherto mammon Golf of Syrtis has beer thoroughly ex-
plored, sod the surveyor the whole coast between Tripoli sod
Alexandria, is now for the first time entirely completed. In
addition to the valuable bydrogr■phical isformation acquired
by this survey, the sites of namerutts ancient cities sad sta-
tions have been accurately deterostoost, sad such data oh.
tattled as will throw very importaut elueidatioste us the write
logs of Herodutas, licytax, Strabo, Leo, and Edrisi."

_ .
We hear that ao offence of a peculiar nature, bat
to which we can only allude with abhorrence, has
been discovered at Grantham ; one of the parties
was in the service of • Noble Duke, and the other a
draper. A great sensation has been made by the
frrquesey of these occurrences, silice the detection
of the &shop of CLOGHBIL—(Burton Gazette.)

GREAT KAM SALE AT Tnoavg.—The ram sale
of Mr. THOMAS EDWARDS, at Thorpe, near Wain-
fleet, on Tuesday last, was attended b. s numerous
and respectable company ; some of whom came from
Leicestetshire; many horn every division of this
very extensive county. As the sheep, which wvie
• in excellent condition, were clothed with wool .of the
Guest texture, and promised to Odd plenty of
mutton, the most of them went off briskly at very
good rice*, considering the times.

NEW SOUTH WALES.

smuct raw THE REPORT OF TIE COMMIS•
SIONER OF INQUIRY INTO THE STATE OF THE
COLONY OF NEW SOUTH WALES.

[Printed by Order of the House of Oonnesej
(Continued frow our Paper of Saturday sinnight.)

Nature of the Labour of Convicts is the Service of

Settlers.

It had been the good, or as many persons in the
colony have thought, the ill-fortune of Mr. Red-
fern, to have been distinguished by a more than
ordinary share of the notice of Governor and Mrs.
Macquarrie. The proofs that they had received of
his professional merits, and his activity and zeal in
the performance of his public duties, confirmed the
recommendations that they had received of him
from Major-General Foveaux ; and they conceived
that Mr. Redfern was equally fit on other grounds
to be admitted to their own society, as well us to
be Particularly pointed out to the notice of others.
Governor Macquarrie had, at a very early period
of his administration, adopted a plan of introducing
into society persons who had once been convicts, and
whose subsequent good conduct had, in his opinion,
stoned for their past ; and he considered that
this plan was both practicable and expedient. In
this belief he was much confirmed by the approba-
tion bestowed upon. it in the Report of the Perlis.
mentary Committee on Transportation, that was
presented to Parliament in the year 1814. As I
shall have hereafter to consider the operation of this
system in its general effects upon the convicts, and
on the state of society in New South Wales. I will
only now observe, that I beliese the strong terms
in which that approbation was conveyed, had a
much more powerful influence upon Governor Mac.
quarrie's subsequent conduct, than the salutary
cautions contained in your Lordship's dispatch of
the 3d February, 1814 ; and that if he has e►red
in carrying a humane principle too far, he has done
so under the belief that he was acting under the
sanction of very high and respectable authority.
With these impressions respecting the system, and
the prepossessions in favour of the individual, Go-
vernor Macquarrie continued to give to Mr. Red-
fern, horn the earliest periods, the full benefit of
his notice and society both on public and privati
occasions.

The effect of this measure has been precisely the
reverse of the expectation entertained by the Go-
vernor, as well as by the Parliamentary Commit-
tee. His determined adherence to his system, in
favour of an individual by no means popular, has
raised opposition to it, not so much from objection
to the principle, but from the idea that an attempt
was made to force its adoption. Another cause of
this failure may be fairly attributed to the injudi-
cious manner in which the attempt was made, and
the peculiar feelings ■nd situation of the persons
upon whom it was tried.

•
Your Lordship being already acquainted with the
nature of the discussions that took place between
Governor Macquarrie and the officers of the 46th
regiment of fool. during their resideuce at New
South Wales, upon the bubject of admitting per-
sons who had been convicts to their society, I will
not again repeat them. _ . _

The determination with which they bad resisted
all attempts to introduce Mr. Redfern to their so-
ciety, while they formed part of the gartison, con-
tinued unabated to the period of their departure.
Governor Macquarrie had same reason to be-
lieve that he should obi find • greater degree of
compliance in ober corps that succeeded them, and
that they would at once adopt the opinions that had
guided their predecessor., and that may be sup-
posed to belong to all bodies of men, careful of
their honour, and keenly sensible to every attempt
to sully it.
The officers of the 48th regiment were well ac-
quainted with the discussions that had prevailed
between the Governor and the 46th regiment; slid
although they had not come teeny previous or pre-
cise determination as to the line of conduct they
were to pursue, the general, but not the unanimous
opinion of the officers, was against the admission of
the obnoxious class to their society on any terms.
Soon after the arrival of the regiment at Sydney,
the officers were invited on one public and several
private occasions, to the Government House, stud
they were there introduced to the Rev. Mr. Fulton
as one of the chaplains of the colony, and to Mr.
Redfern, as one of the assistant surgeons. An
effort was then made by Brigade Major Antill
(wh:ch after the declarations of that officer and Go-
vernor Macquarrie, I am bound to consider as quite
spontsneoui on his part), to introduce Mr. Redfern
to the officers of the 48th regiment.

Major Antill, accompanied by Mr, Redfern,
called upon most of them, and with the exception
of Lieutenant-Colonel Erskine, Major Muri.set,
and Major Druitt, was denied admittance, under
circumstances that must have been very painful to
Mr. Redfern, and ought to have speedily convinc-
ed Major Antill of the bad effect% of his injudi-
cious friendship.
With the above-mentioned exceptions, these
visits were not returned, and uo notice of Mr. Red-
fern was taken by the officer, in meeting him
again. From this period, the difference in the con-
duct of some of the officers of the regiment to-
wards Mr. Redfern was very marked. Lieutenant-
Colonel Erskine, Major Mooisset, ■nd dl: joor
Drum. toot only noticed Mr. Redfern at the Go-
vernor's parties, but began to be constant visitors
at his house.

Mr. Iredftra was also invited by Colonel &s-
-kint to private parties, and as his guest to the mess
of the 48th regiment, and it was upon one of these
occasions, that the junior Aims of the regiment
abruptly quitted the table, and in a manner that
evidently betrayed their objection to Mr. Redfern,
who was repent, and who was known to be Lieute.
nant.Coloisel Erskine'i guest. The consequence
of this conduct of the junior officers, was the pro-
mulgation of a mess rule by Lieutenaut.Colonel
Eraktne, rtqairitig that no officer should quit the
table until time hest thirds sere drank.

These repeated rejections of Mr. Redfern on the
part of the officers of the 48th regiment, having
given reason to Governor Macquarie to believe
dist they hut imbibed and meant to act upon the
opinions of their predecessors, he took occasion, at
their first half-yearly inspection in January, 1819,
to warn them against following the example of the

officers of the 46th regiment, and to expren hit
hope that cordiality would prevail between bin:lull'
and them.

lie adverted to the practice that he had observed
in admitting to his society persons who had been
convicts, and *hose subsequent Conduct seemed to
him to ha►e atoned for their offences; and although
it was not his intention or wish to force the officers
to an association with that class of persons, yet be
expected that they would abstain from making
proper remarks upon his practice, or the measures
of his government.
In arranging the invitations for the public dinner
that was given by the regiment on the same day, it
had been determined that it was not necessary for
them to ask any other person than those who com-
posed the military suite of the General, sod consist.
ing then only of the Brigade-Major and the Aide.;
de-Camp. No invitation, therefore, was sent by the
officers to Mr. Redfern, who notwithotauding was
invited Lieutenant• Colonel Erskine, and appeared
at table as his guest, though 111 the suite of the Go-
vernor. lam not aware that Mr. Referu's visits to
the mess of the 48th regiment were repegted after
this occasion, although he frequently appeared at
the Government House afterwards, when the officer*
were invited.

The efforts of Governor Macquarie to introduce
Mr. Redfern into general society, have not been
more successful with the civil officers and inhabi-
tants of the Colony, a circumstance that surprised
me the more, as I conceived it most probable that
his professional claims and merits would have ob.
tained for him a genusl admission to those families
who might have excluded him upon other grounds.
I do not find, however, that this was the case, and
I have reason to believe, as well from personal ob-
eervation of Mr. Redfern's general demeanour, as
from other sources of information, that his conduct
in company. and even amongst those who were
strangers to his situation, was both forward and sb-
trnsive, and betrayed an entire forgetfulness in
himself of that occurrence in his life. which he
will find it difficult to erase from the memory or
feelings of others.
It is this difficulty. varying in degree with men and
with their opinions, that constitutes the formidable
impediment, to the efforts of Governor Macquarie
to bring back into society, not only the individual
in question, but all other persons who have been
once rendered infamous, either by their sentence or
their crimes. lam far from blaming his motives or
his attempt, though I may not approve his mea-
sures for giving effect to them ; but if this difficulty
is felt, in obtaining the admission of such persons to
society. how mach greater must it be in raising them
to the functions and the honours of the magistracy,
without diminishing that respect for the law and for
its dispensers which it is so importaut in every country
to uphold. It is not enough for this purpose that an
individual should have been prosperous in trade,
that he should have been skilful in surgery, or dex-
terous in the art of acquiring wealth and influence;
his pretensions should be founded on some less
equivocal and more moral basis; or on one, in the
acknowledgment of which a large majority of the
world will acquiesce. lostauces certainly may arise,
in which such claims may be united ; but, with
the exception I have before made in favour of the
sacred character and functions of the Rev. Mr.
Fulton. 1 do not think that Guy of the persons of
this class whom Goveruor Macquarie has selected
for the magistracy in New South Wales have pro-
fessed such pretensions ; sod I cannot help sob-
milting it to your Lordship•es my opinion, that
these appointments were unnecessary, that they
produced no good effect upon the parties themselves.
and that they lowered the respect and estimation
of the magistetial office.
(To be confine:l.)