The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-07-07 00:00:00

CITY BUSINESS.

Yesterday the Lard Mayor held a Court of Aldermen at Guild-
hall, for the purpose of swearinc Sir Peter Laurie into the office of
Alderman for the Ward of Aldersgate, the Sheriffs Elect seal.
ing bond, at.d other business. The Lord Mayor, 18 Aldermen,
Recorder, Sheriffs, and City Officers, were present.
His Lordship stated to the Court that, at a Wardmote recently
held before him in the Ward of Aldersgate, for the election of an
Alderman in the room of R. A. Cox, deceased, Str Peter Laurie
was unanimously elected.
Sir Peter Laurie was then introduced by Me. Deputy Fisher,
Mr. Deputy Lorkin, the Members of the Common Council, and
several Inhabitants of the 11'ard ; and was thereupon sworn into
office and took his seat.

Charles Farebrother, Esq., and Henry Winchester, Esq.,
Sheriffs Elect attending, entered into the usual bond to take
upon themselves that office on the 28th September next.
The Sheriffs delivered in statements of the number of prisoners
confined in the several gaols of Ibis City of London, and of the
general state of diebealth of the prisoners.
31r. Alderman Ansley was elected Collector and Receiver of the
Orphans' Dues on Wines brought into the port of London, in the
room of the late Mr. Alderman Cox.

The Court adjourned the consideration of the petitions of the
inhabitants of Portsoken Ward, against Messrs. Saul's application
for the freedom ; and bicsars. Saul's petition to be admitted to the
freedom.

A petition from the inhabitants of St. Paul's Church-yard, com-
plaining of the inconvenience they sustnin by reason of the number
of stage-coaches there, and the bad and dkorderly conduct of the
drivers and whets connected whit thew, was presented and referred
to the Police Committee.

The iVardinote Inquest also attended, and presented the same as
a public nuisance.
The Rulers of the IVatermen and Lightermen Company attended,
and were swam into office for the year ensuing.

This city (Hereford) and various parts of the county,
have been visited during the last week with storms of rain and hail.
accompanied with thunder. On Saturday the rain was very heavy,
the thunder tremendous, and the lightning extremely vivid. Near
Lugwardine, hailstones the size of musket bullets fell. On Thurs.
day a hailstorm, the severest ewer witnessed by the oldest inhabi-
tant, fell at Linton, in this county ; some of the pieces of ice taken
from a ditch the nest r y, measured an inch and a half across.
We regret that several hop yards were injured by the hailstone*,
the vines being cut off and nearly destroyed. On Tuesday. the
211th ult. about half-past two o'clock, p.m. a heavy storm of hail
and rain passed over Orossmont. accompanied with tremendous
•hunder and lightning. The electric fluid struck the chimney of a
house occupied by Sles. Powell. a widow, who keeps a day-school,
the stones of which were forced out, and part fell into the kitchen,
where the mistress and 14 or 14 children were sitting . • fortunately
they all escaped without injury, time!' many suffered severely
from the effects of the fright the visitation occasioned. No other
damage was done, except to the up-stairs windows, which were
broken, and an out-house adjoining was also injured. A short dis.
lance from the town an ash tree was shattered to pieces by the
lightning. In different parts of the kingdom similar visitations
have taken place, and many cattle, &c. killed by the lightning._
Hereford Journal.
Fl R E.—Yesterday morning, about half-past four o'clock,
as the watchman was going his rounds, in passing up Lisle-street,
near the Two Brewers' public-house, Brewer's-green, Westmin-
ster, a strong smell of fire, and sort of crackling sound, attracted
his attention, and induced him to knock at the door of No. 14,
from whence it seemed to proceed, and alarm the inmates. This
was with some little difficulty effected, and, the door being opened,
the crackling was more distinctly heard, proceeding from the
kitchen ; the alarm had now become general, and two other fami.
lies resitting on the floors above were warned of their danger. By
this time the kitchen appeared in a general blaze, which was fast
communicating to the upper part, and the first flight of stairs had
taken lire. Sonic few articles had been removed out from the
ground-floor; but the assistance given to the flames from the cur-
rent of air was so great that all who studied their own safety were
obliged to retire from the house. At this moment it was ascer-
tained that a child, about 14 months old, had been left asleep in a
cradle in the top floor, to which the flumes were approaching.
The father and mother were in a state bordering on distraction,
until their distress was alleviated by the appearance of a young
man on the roof of the next house, who had procured admission
some few doors off, the inhabitants of which had been roused by
the alarm. and dins mule his way through the window into the
room, and brought the child out in safety. The parish engine of
St. Margaret, Westminster, had some time strived, and was now
followed by several others; and in about an hour the fire was par-
tislly extinguished, being entirely confined to the house where it
commenced, which wu insured ; but the lodgers have lost all they
possessed, and, but for the discovery trade by the watchman, a
sacrifice of lives might have been the consequence. The cause of
the fire is not known, but :t is supposed to have originated from the
remnants of fire left in the copper grate the day before, some of the
1 inmates of the house having been washing there.