The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1808-12-08 00:00:00

THEATRES.

DRORY-LANE.

The Melo-Drama of Venoni; or, The Norira of
St. Mark's, was performed, Inst night, at this
Theatre. Bctivten the 2d and 3d acts, Mr.
IVitounirroN came forward, and addressed the
audience. He said, the Proprietors hoped they
were convinced how great their wish was to meet
with the approbation of the public ; the Author of
rcnoni, in furtherance of that wish, had desired
the present third act might he withdrawn, in order
to surlily another, which, with their approbation,
he meant to produce ois Monday nest. He now
claimed the indulgence of the audience for the 3d
act, for the last time. This address ass well re-
cei‘eil. The house boasted a splendid display of
fashion.

DURGIN THEATRE. DEC. I.

_ -
On Tuesday night the Musical Drama of The
TrateMfrs attracted a full and fashionable house.
Mr. iII.:73DAKT represented the Prince of China,
the Royal Traveller, with respectability. Mr.
Hig.t., 'Flaw to the Prince, acquitted himself w .th
his usual success. Ilis songs, " Deep is the Alin-
fain of this heating heart," and " He teas famed
fur deeds ri arms," were given in u masterly stile.
with a boldness of tone. and sseet.iess of expres-
Wien, that seemed to enrapture his auditory; he was
loudly applauded. Miss Wsi.sTEltt was very in-
teresting in Celinda, and sang " Farewell those
hopes that to my ardent soul," with considerab e
el 14'21.4 The last scene represents the quarter-deck
of a British man of war, where Mr. Wit.t.tsus ap-
p. aired to much advantage. In the course of the
Play, she graceful Girtouva introduced a Dance
of much novelty and singular beauty, in which
the brother and two sisters display all the " graces
of the shawl" with peculiar elegance.
In The Belle's Stratagem, Miss IVAVITI. IN is a
correct and bewitching Letitia Hardy. A Miss
LOCKE mule her first appearance in Lady Fruiters
Tvuehrrood. This youril lady has a face of snore
thus usual beauty, and Is a tine figure—her timi-
slity was so excessive, that it would be irupossibl e
to pronounce upon her general inerits.—At times
she discovered a voice of good tone and sufficient
compass. Mr. I4VDDAKT seldom played better—
he was, indeed, very re,pcetahle- in Sir George
Tomeltwood Mr. I..LWIS was extremely happy and
most entertui aa alt in Flutter. This gentleman can.
es to gam ou public Emmy..

The Hon. C.,lonel Seorroao will have town, to-
morrow, tar Portsmouth, and will embark,ou Sun-
day, for Spain.
Gene►al and Mix, Rote are expected, this day,
at their house in Saville-row, front the Isle of
Wight.
The lion. Wit. BRoDERICK, M.P. arrived. yes-
terday, at his - honse in Hill-street. Berketfy-
square, for the season.,
The Duchess Dowager of -C.Harinns intends to
pass the Christmas holidays at her seat in "%dolt.
Mrs. RICHARDS is returned to her house in G. os-
veitor-square, from Tunbridge Wells.
The LoaD M Air oft will, tbs.. dny, Isola a.Coort of
Common Council, at twelve o'clock, at Guildhall.
VlsCaount MAYNARD left town, on Monday, for
•his seat•nt.Eastoss;lti &rex, for the hunting 40:ISOM
Sir RrIIPIIRN and Lady CorimitEur.
yesterday,at their house in Upper Grosvenor-street,
froM theieseNit in Surrey, for the season.
Sir OtADERT and L R::ATHCOTE will leave
town, in a few d:tys, for Nornrc•cton Park.
Viscount Mxutouaxa will return, this day, to
Brock et Hall.

Hull Theatricals are well attended. Captain
CHAPMAN. Of flirt ItnPal Eirioteers, petroni.es
WARD.* benefit. and Lord STANLEY, COM illllWier
of the gm rison, patronises that of Mr. and Ma.
PHILLIPS, on Tuesday next.
The name of Richard Jones occurred in three
placer in most of the Papers of yesterday, under
the following circomostioneo..s : Rickard AIMS
played Frank, on Tuesday, at the Haynes' ket
Theatre, on The Schnol for Authors. An inquest
was held, on the same day, upon Richard Junes, a
surgeon's apprentice, who blew his brains out with
a pistol, in the B glo ; mod, on the same day,
Riehard Janes, a celebrated pugilist, beat George
Toby, in a boxing match. for what the ansatears
term; a glom. of gin and a belly fall, near Worm-
wood Serults.

A few days since, a young man, named ELD-
RIDGE, of Ewhorst. in SUSIMA, bad his brains blown
out by the accidentally going off of • gum. with
which lie had been shooting at rooks. We under-
statist the accident was occasioned by a practice
rather CO:111111/1), that of dropping the but-end of
his fowling-piece on the ground, with the mossle
pointing towards his body, the jar of which shook
down the cock, and caused the fatal explosion.
A few days back, a man of the name of JCA X
PAIX. a French prisoner of war, on board the
Bristol prisms ship, lying at Gillingham, was sod-
denly seised with a violent indisposition, and was
ordered to be taken below to the surgeon, by two of
his fellow-prisoners. 111'hile they were carrying him,
the roan, whether from agony, or what other cause
is not known, bit one of them in "the side the man
who was bitten was Li much enraged, that he instant-
ly struck the sick num a violent blow on the sto-
mach and on the head ; the next morning the man
died, and it was said that his death was occasioned
by the blows he had received. In consequence of
this report, it was judged expedient to have an in-
quest, which was accordingly held before J. PRA LI..
EA. On examination, it appeared by the Sur-
geon's evidence, that the man was taken speechless,
and died in comiequence of sudden illness.—Ver-
diet—Died by the eisitation olGod.
Dirrount allowed on Lottery Shares.—Ertry
Purchaser of Shares of Tickets, amounting to Five
Pounds and u?wards, will be allowed a Discount.
at J. Wsatata's Fortunate Office, 16, Coruhill,
where Capital Prizes to a large amount have been
recently .441 in Shares.—The Lottery begins draw-
ing next Tuesday, with superior advantages to any
former Scheme, viz. 2 new Prizes of 500 Tickets
each, besides 1 Of t 20,000, Y of £lO,OOO, 2 of
11,1.100, &c. &c. &c.

THE COURT.

Yesterday, about twelve o'clo. k, %Jr.,
TILS and the Putscasacs arrived at the o.auaLiet
Palace, from Windsor,

soon after one o'clock, Her lklAri try and t
hOnetteed Lady Cuvitorrt Ft*
with a visit, at tier apartincuta lit St. Jimmied p
lace, where they Were joined by the Dukes
YelElt, CUMEERI..I.S Mid eA = they ',mini,
ed there till thvee lee lock, *hen they walked across
the different apartments of the ',I; 4CV to 'benign'.
nienta of the Duke of -C uSI iEI A 1.4 Her 11
JEST' lemaing upon the aim nl. his Royal 1111.01Li•!4.
The Royal Party partook of K sumptuous (limier,
and at five u'.;lock set oil on their return to 11
sor.
At two o'clock Hie
'MAJESTY held a privite
Levee at the QuELN's Paliu:e, which was uttendrat
ht
The Lard President or the Cesecil, the Lord Privy g„,4
the Cltancellor of the Exelirouer, the three Seersta,oi et
State, the Master-General of the Ordnance, the Portugu,,,
Ambassador, the Duke of Montrose, Viscount BolYrcio •
Lords Head:field and St. Helen's; Sin. H. Porrard,
and J. Doyle; General Norton, Capt. Wheatley, add
Thornton and Fay/keno,.

The following had the honour of being preNeintd
to His NI AXES •V

trots Portugal.

Sir Harry Burrard, epos his ftrim

Capt N heatley, Sir Harry Eureard's Aid-de-Camp, /pc%
bis return from Portugal.
(;euvral Norton, upon his being appoinord Coverig. s!
Charlcuiont, in the room •f the late Lord lloislie‘t,r.
Viscount ROlO/1141, by bg.Exertkutv the Pin tutu, se Aar
bassador, upon his kaeing England for Portugal.
Mr. Thornton, our !ate Ambassador at Sweden, upon his
relearn to England,. .

I.ient •General Sir John IMyle, upon his pt,,usolion, 4,4
resumin. his command at Gucrosey
4:l4•Jk:ry held K Privy Cv.uto il, and gave
audienct s to the Cabinet Ministers pre,eut.

PRISON ABUSES IV IRELAND.

We mentioned yest. relay some of the proceed-
ings of the Commis...ion Court, in Green-street, Dah.
hu, ;ippointed to examine jute, and report upuu the
didifrriit eases and treatment of the late State Pri.
soners, particularly those whe were confined is
Kilinainham. That article we copied from a
Morning Paper, and upon inquiry we find it to he
tolerably cwrectso far as it went. We have lenno4
that a number of highly respectable individuals
have handed in a strong Protest against the pro.
eeedings of the Court, alleging, that it Wer the
intention of Parliamvut,and the spirit of the Coop
nie:sion graciously issued by His Majesty, that the
several persons so deeply interested should nave no
opportunity of inanifestilq their innocence, end
stating the trenhaent they had reivii ed, in opa
C'oart. and that neither the benign intentions of
His Majesty, the wishesof Parliament, not the elide
of public j notice could be answered by a secret exa-
mination, and that such examination wig evidently
in opposition to themeaning and intent of His Me.
jesty's Royal Commission, and to the view which
the Legislature had takes of the aultject. It is there-
fore probable that this hosiers./ will once more oc-
cups the attention of the House of Comment.

. .
General Complaint, Magee with Hr. Ham. ,
crater, to the Coma of Commioakieera, appoisted by His
Wajam 'ea Lotus, Patent no lege* his. the Cams of
Inds Primmer*, and Ohms, &c., assadfor name pe
which said eOllllSll.lliOll woe) earolkd is N. IMF
Nigh Court of Chancery, Irdaad, ex the mooed yof
November, tilos.
We the andernamed personesomptain that we layette's
eendaml, as State Prisuuers, without twin been amllo ac-
quainted with the retsina 6f our dcleatios mid otitis* is
confinement, that our treattne.s was arbitrary, cruel; 11W
caprieious :
We thertfore reqnest full opportunity of manifintiog oar
tunoeence, and the means of doing au, by a full mptention
of our several eases • and also of detailing all the grievances
which we suffered and the injuries we hare metaiard by oar
confinement; of exposing the misconduct and gescral ci a-
city of disousitiou of all thine persons, who were, is say-
wise, either employed in or "Pout, or entrusted or connected
with our imprisonment, or uric isstrumental thereto ; nod
rho tat exposing tally sue other matters, a elating to the ail-
nenostration, rate, manngenitat, condition, or gore:ono nt
thcrirof:

A ad'all dais we retried ter °unwires, sad fur sad is the
ram eta!l State Prisoners coneerneal, anti sussiiarly circus'.
insured . _

'Anna., Nov. 2(i, 1604
Sigurd 14 Hat esiwkrasused St John Mason, for himself,
and for th. folltdslisig litssons with their eoast•at ; and tif
and in the saute of all State Prisons's conceived, sad slaw
larly eircumstancrd . .
James Tandy, Nicholas Cray,
John Patten, Henry Hualses
James Dixon, Edgard Kennedy,
Dennis Cassia, Has. Deraiwia,
Bernard Cuile, Edgard Hay,
Thomas Ridgway, John RturkriaSe,
Joan {Haan. Sizited by St. JAN 3tasoil.

DUBLI V, Der. 3.

POST ASSEMBLY.

Th u rsday Council asseinhled for the purpose
of riveting a Sdce,..wr la the nano of the lute Al-
demon Vance. It seeming to meet the unanimous
approbatioa of the Assembly, it was proposed and
seconded. that the 1001. which an Alderman era
his election usually paid to the City Treasurer.
should be handed over for the benefit of the Hine
Cost Hospital. The resolotrou wa. put and ear
vied unanimously.
Mr. Alderman Ileresfird having withdrawn,
Tl:c Clerk read the names returned hr the Board,
viz.—Mr. I.l*Olier, Mr. Foote, Mr. MinCl iu, and
Mr. Shaw.
Mr. D'OttEa, in a few handsome sentences, de-
clisied the honour proposed for him by the ihend.
He should always feel 1.7,000 for their attention.
but he could not think of opposing a gentleman
every way edl qualified for the sitmitioa es.
Shaw, iti whose favour Iw begged lemur to ros4n all
his pretensions.
Mr. Mt:rents and Mr. FooTa also begged-
leave, at the present juncture, to ileclisietkehvinier
of a ballot.
Mr. Stow thanked the house fur the confidence
they reposed in his chAracter and
The ballot having been adopted, Mr.Sissw was
declared duly elected ; upon a hid, he made an elo-
quent speciii,. and afterwards gave a splendid din-
1021' de the Rotunda.

-- - -
Next Tite-elay the Latter,• termit' drawing,' and
a •ettie,:le 1 irket purehttreei at Bistes °Sees, der
Corhhill, or D. t"..4.-niii-Cmira, cuay u,:rturio•
of One iinn.:retl .ritnnosnit l'unards. At present
I)6,es and 7..ittirri a.. to Ire 1,4 su etriety,
ha: it extremely dottletrel w ..thee "ay WA Lai ft
ru, 531 e when the 111trel U M WA. •

LAW INTELLIG RAI. C.

Cala or wrc•s firNCH, WarriIIIISTER, D■e. 7.

PUBLIC PECULATION.
'fIIE KING r. ALEXANDER DAVISON, ESQ.

was the only trial which took place dna day,
s,',l it oteupied the Court to a err!. late hour,-
eutirely of a robiic nature, it excited great
iocre-t.
The ATTORNET-C;EN FALAI. stated, that it was au
Were...titer against the Weinfeld, and the eliar4e
ass, that he (Mr. Davison) haviag heel, em-
oord bj GOVer4lllllllt. 0r rather by the Barrack
Otter, as ati agent to purchase articles necessary
for that derailment, ill is col ttttt issue' of 2; per
oats for the application of liis skull mid know-
ledge, to see that Goverimieut was riot imposed
upria, hail betrayed his trust ; that he had pre-
tended to purclarise goislo from others, which were
in tact Ins own, and of his owl' manufacture; a:al
th it that profit was derived by others, which I.lllh, in
t, derived by himself, exclusive of his commis-
sioie he himself being the seiner; and that con-
eminently no cheek existed upon the furnisher or
these articles, although he was expressly paid fur
that purpose. Such was the general nature of the
charge against Mr. Davison. It was unnecessary
fur Imo to enlarge much upon the importance of
such a charge. 6. inagoitsideL of these toinsee-
ti,„,,, "mitred it ulasolutely necessary that Go-
vcruusesit should have a dieck over those ano
transacted them. The trial had been fivinerly
postponed on account of the absence of General
Dc Laticy, who would now be called before the
Jury, au the part of the Delendivit, to elucidate
some or the facts he was about to state. Mr. Da-
vison became an went for Govirninent, as long
ito al 1794, but the fraudalent transaetiun, which
lie imputed to him, viii not cominciice till the 24th
of December, 1797. It was the cut•tom to render
halt-yearly accounts, and he shorild iustance, in
particular, the one between the C 2 itli of December,
1797, and the 84th of June, 1798. Ile should
prove that the Defendant pat iii false vouchera,anit
false bills of parcels, to the amount of. 5-2,0001.
hod upwards, and that lie charged a Commission
thereon, to the amount of la,oool. Ile knew it
would be said by the Counsel for Mr. Davison, as
had been said before, that Government muttered no-
thing by such a practice, as the Defendant reader-
eel those goods to Government from his own stores,
at the satue prier: he could have got them from
others; and that, with respect to the Commissioti,
they wem to nay that, whether the goods were fur-
nished by °loves or nut ; to which he answered, that
Government therehy lost that check. which was
paid him for furnishing. If Mr. D. himsel I furnished
the goods, the narneof the cheek was a mere mockery.
1794, General Dc Laaey having occasion to
turnivh 'stores to a great autouist, eaup;oyell Mr.
Davison as an Agent, by a letter writteir to him on
nth December of that year, and M. Davison's
Cus.terthereto, iu whirls lie engaged alaays to pro-
duce bills of piareela and receipts, from the pennies
from whom he puichitioal,and also engaged, accord-
ing to ;stipulation., to provide& proper parker. In
that Agret-,urtot it was provided, that two and a half
per yeas. should be deemed a reasonable eompen.
ist,on Cot hit troutste; add that 'should be the sole
emolument he should derive from the business; evi-
dently therefrom throe ine aside all expectation,
that he was at the same bin- to derive the profit of
a merchant from any of the se transactions, by the
sale of hi 4 own goods. A Mr. Lodge was the per-
son employed as a packer, to whom the goods were
sent weakly, and receipts given by him for them;
hut these were not considered of great importance,
as, every half year, regular retnrrts were delivered by
him to Davison of all the goods so delivered du-

ring that time. There were also returns mule
upon the goods being sent to the barrack-office,
Rating the quantities, but not the price. He in-
' stances! in particular the half 'lady accounts
vended by Mr. Davison to Government, betsesta
the 125th of December, 17v7, and the Nth
June, 1798; one containing the quantity, and
not the price--the other containing the price.
but not the qualitity. In these the par-
ticislar tradesmen wire mused. from whom the
goods were alleged to he bought. An abstract of
the.,e accounts ties rendered monthly. In that
first reboil he had inentioued there was the name
of George Watson, stated as having sold goods to
the AUK/WA of 15,1501.95. 9d. ; refereuce was made
to the abstract, and the abstract referred to the
bill of parcel.. At the end of the abstract was
George Watson's receipt; but he should prove that
this George Watson was entirely fictitious, no such
promo having ever furnished any goods to the I.)e-
-&infant, he being an apprentice or clork in his.
(11r. Davison's) office. 1 hose accounts he alluded-
to applied only to the article of bedding, but that
was not the only article furnished by Mr. Davi-
sou. There was also a half yearly account of re-
ceipt and expenditure, which embraced the whole
of his employment. id that half yearly account.
Le, amongst other articles, takes credit to I selt
for bedding, pmvided to the amount of 33,1691.
17s. 9d. and carried the balance to a new account.

Although the charge for t 10.1111115411,11 %%31 not men-
Waned in this general oil-molt, %et, by including
the others, it actu tlly coottor. 111.11116 d it. The fact
however was, that Mr. Mungo Sheihion was the
Defendant's principal mana4er ; and in till the re-
turns made by Lodge, there appears the name of
Sheddon, as a person furnishing a large portion of
these goods, Although that persmi was neither a
merchant, trade:,iiian, nor manufacturer, but was
a clerk and tnuottger of Mr. Davison. That
name, as well as that of Watson and Allen,
were only used in order to prevent the suspicion
that the goods were purchased from Davison
himself. In his transactions with Lodge, he states
the name of Sheildoil as the person from whom the
goods were purchased; while, in his accounts to
Government, he states the name of Watson as the
person from whom he purchased them. As this
person. Watson, Wilb no other than his apprentice.
and as it was well known hi- was not * merchant,
nor dealer in such articles. the Defendant fell upon

the plm to get another person, of the name of
Aileu, to si4n the receipt., as ix fur Wistonti in his
alrsetsve. lime the Learned Counsel entered into
• minutt comparison of the different accounts ren-
itairorl for the half year ; he was particularly illus.-
trdtite, and shevred their connection with each

oilier. The whole was •no other than a sclicine t.
keep up the markets, and, by suppliing the goods
himself, instead of purchasing them from inert:Mints,
to ;;et a inerchant's profit, oesides his commission
of 21 per cent. The charge of this commission, how-
ever, was not the only complaint against him. 1-Ile
complained that he thereby deprived Government of
the check they paid hint for, as a guardian to them
from the deception of others. The Defendant pre-
tended that ail this originated from a mi,take, and
that it was to be rectified in a subsequent account ;
but it must be observed, that these charges are
made iii nine different haif-yearly accounts, viz.
from December, 1797, to June, 1802, in aU of
which he takes credit to himself far commission

upon all ;he goods rendered. It ass not till the
year isuti, when he was questioned about the irre-
gularity of these fraudulent transactions pressing
close upon [nut, that he thought of rectifying ail
the accounts so rendered, and of restoring his com-
mission. Mr. Davison underwent an examination
before the Military Coinmission in October, 160.5,