The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-06-14 00:00:00

LUI3LLV POLICE, .NNY 9.

FRAVD ON GOVFANNTENT

lIIIAD Oritcr.—Bridpet Word wi* on Fri.lal hat, the
4th instant, broottht befiire the Sitting Magistrate. charged
on the informations of William Bell. Earl. of the Ordnance
Department, with having defrauded Government to a consi-
derable amount.

The Prisoner, it appeared, had been the wife of one
Michael Ward, who for above nine years had been employed
ms carpenter in the Ordnance Department. This man be.
came anywrannnated at the close of the year 1810, and nap
placed on the penaion.list, 81. a-day ; shoot two or
three years after whir h, that is, six or seven years ago, he
died—during all which time, up Vs the present period, his
wife Bridget regularly railed f..r and received his pen.
Shual• This the sernmplish•d n;th singiOar arldrim, by
rdisn'dide slxl,ment‘ of her hit.h inure imbecility of mind,
which rendered him incapable of applying in person. On thy
RStlt 1.4 last mouth, she made application a:ain at the
Ordaa,•re timer, and stated that her bunMnd was in •
Male of ihrotlisie dotage, and isteapahle of leaving 6i. bed;
ofiaerving that Mr. Bell iliiiihted her story, she requested
him and gisrwroo Venable., of the Hard Artillery, who via
then prevent, to Accompany her to No 4, Engine-alley, where
they might aati•fy them-elves of her veracity. These Gen-
tlemen accompanied her thither arm dangly, slid there they
loom! a *host y,•ung man, of shoot thirty five years of age,
who nfterwards was discovered to b• nephew to her
wtußl• dl up, and !yin; abed He enilinivionreil to imp-ise on
the Gentlemen with the best representation of dotage and
debilitiol, his mimic powers would admit of; but he proved
• vrry art,,r, and his deception we. readily di treed.
He no. j..i0r,1 in the ad oration avoloo his stint, nod cc-
knnwle•lgd 41 that bis uncle ►ad heels dead fur above sic or
wren years.

Irfornsatiima were taken arlitist the Piowner, and stir
was rosily committed for trial at the next l:ommt,sion.

PRESENT ST4TE OF SOCIETY AND

ALINNERS IN DUBLIN.

Mum Wliii.-14w and " Ilidory of n.vii.";

(Continued (rant a framer ray' )

" The character of the people of Uuhlin s••ems to
h ive u-,(1.-.:!..ne a complete change. It was once
ry, cunvitial, nod, in mine degree, di.etpnte•l : it
n•‘w more serion., priitirtit, and rel•gions but
it +WI maintains In, reputation for unfeigned he.
nevidence snl geauiue cliw;ty. It may he t,uly
tio• rtett, that io no city iu Eurnpe,of the rune rx-
tini!, are public moral. parer. Vie crimes of the
popnl ice roceed r dhrr from the pre were of die.
Vet'. that Loin s:cittus halsit4. Tlir unfortunate
Pavil,s *tun walk the streets are 1. wer in trunher
tlein are usually found in second-ruse sea-port towns
in Eugl Intl, and frit these are the inevitable rp.
yes:flags-a of a large garrison.' There are, however,
min? signs of prosperity still to be observed to
Dublin. lit public and private buildings are
increasing, though nut in the same degr.e as:
forrneily, according to the port returns to which
we refer, the commerce of Dublin is augmenting,
particular! in its exports; the'Cristle though aid)
diminish, bustle and brilliancy. still' keeps up a
little Court ; the University is increasing in hit Id-
, Slugs and Students; the Law Courts at tract the sc.
cuemmed crowds during Terms; and the officers cf
a large .garrison, consisting of shout 7.000 men,
• embellish and keep up the spirit of public amuse-
. went, and private parties; fur the latter, hider&
the peolile of Dublin seem to have a decided Fe di-
) rims, soil to prefer that unreserved and good-
' rumoured iil'efeOUret which, constitutes the sweetest
torn of society, to "'leg other amusement.
11.1* and rune .eta are freqnently given at the ito-
' ternala, either for some charity, or to support the
1,11; /I..spital; these we al•iirays w.II attended.
• Ihe distinction of rank% aril conditions is not
particularly r.biervalile i t public, but in private
meetings it ia more stric;ly preserved. When, by
the Act of va many of the superior cl.
became altselitees*, and were tircrs-arily estranged
from Otetr attendance at the Castle, • door was
r ;rem f••• Cie cliiiissient of tilt upper ranks in the
omlner,stal world, in culisrquetice of v. hie!), the
C.v.! le a.srinl.lier soon became so inconveniently
t:trett4eel, that the future entli of these noel Auniitics
et .1. res,ce'rol. Neverthrless, that honour is by no
hirans o.flicolt to be obtained.
"Stracgers an I vi.itorr complain that they do not
alwa)s fluid that horpitahly so generous said invit-
ing as they wore taught to believe; as if it were
1:1( umbeut on the hiliabitants to convert their houses
into hote4 said taverns, for the exercise of tills
virtue. Dublin, like other great cities, is nays
',verse rrum receiving strangers, when properly iv-
1. tp!tieed ; hut in later times the pressing claims or
is own distressed citizens have diiniiiished the
••dotir, az. well as the n tins, cf being extensively
burpitable.
• • • •
" The cilia: •ns of Dublin carry one amusement ta
an excess reculiar to themselves. The vicinity of
the city to the sea, snit the lovely and inviting coat
hich surrounds it, are attractions which have uni-
versal MR uence. The whole population of Dublin
seem to crowd to the water iu the smuttier month's,
and all racks wed ages think bathing a specific
for the preservation of health, or the cure of dis-
temper. On 'lust csccasi ~,, s, the roads to the sea,
at particular times Or the title, pievent extraordinary
spectacles. Every vehicle, public and private, is
Seen tilled with people cioading the avenues that
L ed to the salt-water on both sides of the boy, par.
ticulaily on the South. As the shore is flat, and
the ',mud of bathing but short at each tide, they
Laster' to avail themselves of at. and rush together
I ito the water. The swarms of naked figures thus
ri.!rn on the shore from Iting's-end to Sandymount,
i as singsdar al it is surprising ; while the noise and
r. irtive merriment seem to iodicate that it is not
.li/seined so much fur health as festive recreation.
It is supposed dirt 40,000 people bathe every tide
iu Dublin Lay during the summer months, and
many contilice the practice through the winter."

• •

• 1 he Ate/entre' of Irelaud have been from the rattiest
tinier a eoristant Orme of complaint, as the prime cause of
the oarusen onus state of the events y. So early as the year
1366 au oatrioce of the 42J Ed 111. reaper-11ml ',timid.,
Lev 'Lig mall (the eiraduct of I e Atm laces)
.naves au 13.11111 nm de la dire terse.' 1.11601 a writer of
Remorke or the 4ffaire of Argland ard lertand states the
milauut of di:6lll*Kr of wrahls by Atwater. in ilittreat
nay., ea. IZB,BIBI. per sustain. In 1729, a ourk, ascribed
t.. Th mII agar P.ine,euntai * a list of Absentees, suJ use money
they drew Gum the kingdom in various waps,which amount-
s.l annually to 627,79 W. Arthur Voting, in 1779, stabs it
it IJ2,2ool.—hut an alphabetical list of oases and pecti-
c Jai. in 178-2, makes it amount to the cavernous
sins of 1,221,2211 A What then must it amount to since
the Volvo

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