The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1822-09-19 00:00:00

CORONER'S INQUEST.

On Tuesday evening an Inquest was held is She Board
Room of Middlesex Hospital, before Thomas Stirling, Em.
Coroner, on view of the body of Joseph Edwards, who an.
fortanately met his death in consequence of a fall from a
scaffold. The evidence went to prove that the &ceased was at
work on the top of a house, 61, Great Marlborough-street,
when he accidentally fell off, a &sluice of 47 feet, and was
killed; the Jury, therefore, returned a verdict of Aecideletvi
Death.

Sunday forenoon, between one and two o'clock.
a large porpoise was seen in the Thames, just oppo-
site Btllingagute, and continued in ►ight a long
time. Pot going farther than London Bridge. Its
jumping in and out of the water afforded much
amusement to some thousands of persons assembled
on the sides of the river, and on London Bridge.
On some boot.: putting off towards it, the porpoise
went off with incredible swiftness, diving often. and
finally escaped from its pursuers.
Early on Sunday morning. the Bth inst. the neigh-
boatload of St. George's.rool was much alarmed
by the circumstance of the watchman of that district
having shot a man. The requisite inqui►y of the
Coroner's J ery hell ascertained, that there had been
almost incessant always throughout Saturday night ;
and about two o'clock in the morning the watch-
man was alarmed by the cry of Murder!" and culls
for assistance. He ran to the place iron wheure
the cries issued. and found several persons engaged
in s violent affray, but the nature of which be was
ignorant. He demanded that it should cease. wheat
he was attacked, knocked down. beaten. cut with
a knife, and kicked, and being envied with a pis-
tol, in consequeuce of the great number of wick-
ed and desperate
_characters in that part of the
tows). where so many robberies and other outrages
are committed, be was at last obliged to file in
his own defence.hy which a man was so desperately
wounded. that he died in about twenty minutes.
The knife with which the watchman had been cut
was found under the body of the man who was
shot. On Mooday afternoon the inquest was held,
and after hearing evidence confirmatory of the
above account, adjourned till Ft itloy, when the Jury
raturned a verdict of " Jusiifloble Homicide."
The person who was shot was a very notorious cha-
racter; and though he hod till then escaped the
punishment he well merited, he had been often told
by Mr. LAVSNDEIt. 14 be would come to the gal-
lows."—fiklancheafer Herald.)

NEW SOUTH WALES.

EXTRACT FROM THE RETORT OF THE COMMIS-
SIONER OF INQUIRY INTO THE STATE OF THE
COLONY OF NEW SOUTH WALES.

(Continued front our Paper of yesterday.)

The suggestion of release, indeed, seemed to
ark., not from any consideration of the crimes or
punishments of the prisoners, but from the incapa-
city of the gaol to contain them, together with the
many other prisoners then coolined in it. The
number then confined in the chain gang did not
exceed eleven: of these, several were sentenced to
labour for twelve months, of which six, and in some
instances more, had expired. They were drawn
out for the inspection of the Judge-Advocate, who
received information from Mr. Marsden and Mr.
Oakes, the chief constable, as he went along,
respecting their characters sod crimes. The
prisoners themselves, as usual upon such °cop-
sions, represented to Mr. Judge-Advocate Wylde
the state of their puoishairtits ; but I cannot
concur in the inference drawn by Mr. Mars-
den, that the Judge-Advocate appeared to listen
with more attention to the representation of the
prisoner., than to those which he made. It is moat
probable that the representations of both were made
with earnestness, as Mr. Marsden, in his account of
the proceeding, states, that he represented them to
the Judge-Advocate to be most daring felons; and
the prisoners, concluding that the Judge-Advocate,
in consequence of his inquiry, was invested with
some superior authority that might tend to their re-
lease, would press as earnestly upon him the ap-
parent hardships of their punishments.
I do not Mid, from the testimony of Mr. Oakes,
who was present, that Buy observation fell from the
Judge-Advocate, on this occasion, that had the ef-
fect of tbrowing a slight or censure on the autho-
rity of Mr. Marsden as a Magistrate, in hi. pre-
*race ; and the part that he took in the release of
the prisoners, had reference only to the state of the
gaol, and not to the net tire of their sentences.
A similar release of prisoners had taken place on
several preceding occasions, by the simple authority
of the Governor, without reference to the magis-
trates; and, although the accidental visit of the
Judge-Advocate to the gaol, in this instance, might
have produced a belief in Mr. Marsden's mind,
that his representations to the Goveroor had given
rise to the release of the prisoners whom he had sen-
tenced to be confined, and that the Governor had
sanctioned it in consequence of the impressions that
he had received, and conveyed to your Lordship, of
Mr. Marsden', severity, yet I cannot think that
there was sufficient cause for Mr. Marsden to im-
pute either, to the Judge-Advocate, an intention to
insult hint by any thing that he ditl, or any advice
that he gave to Governor Macquarrie on this oc-
casion, or to impute to the Governor an intention
of offering indignity to his magisterial character.
Mr. lisinsibel M'Arthisr, who had joined with
Mr. Marsden in passing the same sentences upon
these prisoners, witnessed their release before the
expiration of the terms of their puilishmerits, with-
out reference to himself, and did not conceive that
any insult was cast upon him by such an act.
That the effect of this act was to lower the esti-
mation of the authority of the magistrates in the
ryes of the prisoners, is certainly true; and it is
further to be regretted, that if any of the prisoners
were to be released, reference had not been made
by Governor Macquarrie to those who had the brat
means of knowing their respective demerits, rather
than to the Judge-Advocate, who could only derive
them from very suspicious sources ; and that the same
principle of consideration and forbearance that had
preveuted the Governor from interfering with long
sentences passed by Mr. Garling, when he acted as
Judge-Advocate, had oot influenced him on this
occasion.

Upon seeing► the Governor's warrant addressed to
the chief constable of Pitmans, for the release of
the prisoners who had been named by the Judge-
Advocate as fit to be discharged, Mr. Marsden forth.
with addressed a letter to Governor Macquarrie,
dated the 38th March, 1818, in which he stated,
" that under the existing circumstances he felt it a
duty that he owed to himself to resign the office of
civil magistrate," but made no reference to the
nature of those circumstances.

To this letter Mr. Marsden received no answer, but
in a few days afterwards he received a letter from
Mr. J. T. Campbell, the Governor's Secretary, en.
dosing for his information and guidance en attested
copy or a government and general order, in which
it was stated, •• that his Excellency the Governor
had been pleased to dispense with the services of the
Reverend Samuel Almaden, as Justice of the Peace
and Magistrate at Paramatia and its adjoining dis-
(rids." In explanation of his conduct towards
Mr. Marsden, in retaining him in the magistracy
after he had secured him of the crimes of sedition
and mutiny, and in spiterof Mr. Marsden's wi-h to
retire from it, as well as for his abruptly declaring.
by a public order, that he dispensed with his ser-
vice, as Magistrate, when Mr. Maredeu had de.
dared that lie could no longer act iu that capacity,
Governor Macquarrie has stated, that he was fully
aware that ?sir. Marsden's re.ignation was tendered
with a view of giving him offence, and arose from a
desire of annoyance to him end his government, and
it was for these reasons that he preferred dispensing
with Mr. Marsden's services.
The Governor has not alluded to the circum-
stances trout whence he collected this intention of
Mr. Marsden ; therefore I can only presume that
he derived it from the circumstance of Mr. Mars-
den's letter of resignation, having so nearly
liillowed the abrupt release of the prisoners from
the Paramatta gaol, without reference to himself.
Now although this act of the Governor had not
made the same impression 'spot, the mind and feel-
ings of Mr. Hannibal M•Arthur that it had done
upon those of Mr. Marsden, that instances of it had
occurred before, without offence being intended or
taken, and that it was done in the exercise of the
authority with which he is invested as Governor, yet
it cannot be denied that it was one which was calcu-
lated to wound the feelings of Mr. Marsden, when
viewed by him in its connexion with circumstances
that had before t►anspised, respecting lois conduct as
a magistrate.
The power that Governor Macquarrie exercised
of retaining the services of Mr. Marsden, contrary
to his expressed wish, affords a strong testimony of
their value, althouzb it was testimony extorted from

him, and accompanied with ciresimstances of hu.
miltation to Mr. Marsden ; but when the pastel ar-
rived in which this wish of Mr. Marsden wasp.-
pealed, and when the Value o hill Services had in.
creased rather than diisibithedi it would 'hive been
more consistent with the muse that Genitor Mae.
quarrie professed to have or that volt*, if be had
refrained from the mortifying and humiliating corn.
milnication, by which the public were informed
that Mr. Marsden's frervites were dispensed with.
The uniform tenor of Goveruoi- Macquarrieli corn.
munications, on the retirement of the colonial A-
cers from their public situations, mid the elaboot:e
eulogies that have appeared from time In time hi
the Sydney Gazettes Upon their persons' sod pub.
lic merits, must have impres.srl the colony that tinl
witnessed Mr. Marraien'i services, and knew t:;eir
value, with a belief that the laconic cummunica-
tiou of the Gov. root's pleasure in diipensiug with
them, was intended to form a mortifying exception
to every preceding °cession of retirement, and to
give to that which was dispensation only, the ap-
pearance of • real dismissal, accompanied with
disgrace.
In endeavouring to trace the motives fur the whole
of Governor Macquarrit's conduct to Mr. Mars.
den on these occasions, either as they have appeared
on inquiry from Governor Macquarrie or .Mr. Mars-
den, or from other persons in the colony, l have only
been able to assign two causes that can account for
the peculiar severity of treatment with which Mr.
Miracle*, in Isis magisterial capacity, hits beet: vi-
sited. First. an irreconcilable dillerence of opt.
Mon upon the question of raising certain persons
who had beets convicts, to places of rank sod coo.
fidence in the colony ; anti secondly, a stispic;on
that while Mr. Mande,, was receiving huipitality
and attention Irons tie Governor, and living upon
terms of corollality and friendship with him, he seas
secretly, and by indirect means or anonymous let-
ters, denounciog tile Governor's odiufuisaratiou to,
your Loodship. Upon the first point l would ob.
serve, that Mr. Marsden's opinions were more di-
rected against the individuals than against the aye-
tem, and that although he has felt less disposed
than Governor Macquame to indulge sanguine is.
pectations of the entire returns of convicts,
yet he does nut go so far as to think that
those who are reformed should for ever be ex-
cluded from society. Mr. Marsden, it has heels
seen, maiiitained his -own opiniou with his cha-
racteristic firmness; and Governor Macquarrie, in
replying to it with warmth, did not then foresee,
and bus never perceived since, the difficulty of en.
forcing • vyatem founded upon u principle that is
right in the abstract, but which in its application
has to conflict with every possible variety of human
judgment and feeling. it has been another mis-
fortune of Governor Micquarrie not to make suffi-
cient allowance fur these varieties of opinion, and
to consider those as opponents of his government
who did not at once make a surrender of their judg-
ment and feeling to his, upon that most delicate
question, the estimate of moral character. lit en-
deavouring to subdue that of Mr. Marsden, or to
lead that of the military men, who have lately form-
ed the garrison of Sydney. be plainly spewed that
he had made • had calculation of the obstacles that
might impede him. Other magistrates and other
officers he has undoubtedly found of more ductile
dispositions than Mr. Marsden, who manifested no
disinclination and felt no disgrace in a near associa-
tion with persona who had been convicts, and of
whose subsequent conduct and character they had
formed a good opinion, or adopted that of Governor
Maeqoarrie. 1 certainly cannot adduce any parti-
cular or positive instance of the undue favour of the
Governor bestowed upon those individuals who
have met his views upon this subject, or of denial
of that favour towards those who did not adopt them.
and Mr. Mersdeu had no complsiiit to snake of
Governor Macquarrie's want of liberality towards
him in dispensing the colonial indulgences. It is,
however, the result of my inquiry and observations,
that one principal source of the disoniou bower!'
Governor Macquarrie and Mr. Marsden has been
their difference of opinion upon this topic, aid that
it has imperceptibly led the former to indulge that
vehemence of expression slid severity of rebuke in
private interviews with Mr. Meriden, of which the
latter has had so much and such just reason to coins

(To k ccsitinted)

CORN EXCHANGE, Merrimac* 18.

We have had bat little Wheat fresh in since Ntunday, and
•Ithuugh the demand this morning was very slack yet fine
new sad at that day's prices; but their were nn buyers of
that of last year's growth, the pikes at which are vie
sotaibal far the ordinary coalition.. New Ba, ley fully loam-
tains Monday's gautatio•s. Fuse fresh Oats are rather
dearer. la Beaus and Pease there law alteration.

The large quantity of seerersty-four pounds of
wool was clipped this year from three si (two
rams and oue %ether) belonging to T. CnATTFa•
TON, Esq.. of South Somercotes. near Louth. Toe
sheep were descended frost bu Liueolushire ewer,
by a Tewswster ram.

PRICE OP STOCES YESTERDAY.
3 per Ct. Cons... 80i 81 Eit. Bills,
ireiCis. 10011 100 e 3 pr.
Imp. 3 pr. C'. An..Boi Ditto Smolt .. 6 9 or.
Indio Stock
Diitto Bonds 17 16 pr. Indi• for ditto e 531 453
Lottery Ticket. Yll. IS.. Colts. fo► chtto..lllllll

BIRTHS.
On !Monday last, at Beekt•e• Hill, Cheshire, the 131
of Itlaj•r General Glefr. of
Ow Tersely, the 17111 instant, Mrs. Alexander rri.tr, of
Tiundes.ian, of a sun._