The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1803-03-22 00:00:00

IMPLINGEN. NiAitcri 10.

The westerly gales here, within these few days,
have considerably changed the ice before our har-
bour. Where immeasurable plains lay, we now
sec high hills and deep vallies ; the astonishing form
of which, and hitinite variety, added to the amazing
thickness of the pieces of ice, represent to us the
frightful land and sea prospects of Nova Zembla.
The oldest persons lira lost in admiration at this
amazing pile of icyastrudures, never recolleding to
have seen any thing of the kind. The rolling- bil-
lows give this prosped a still more singular appear-
ance ; they rush forward, as against immoveable
rocks, and thus give to a part of the sea the semb-
lance of an immense coast. Last Friday, on the
4th, one of the vessels which have lain locked up the
whole winter before our harbour, appeared here
before the ice, with an intent to put into our port,
having on board a large ice-schuit to aid it. In-
stantly our hardy mariners jumped into their vessel,
and scrambled with it over high and low to the
solid ice, in the presence of thousands of admiring
spedators. The South and North Piers were croud-
ed by people, to behold this singular sight, and
every one applauded the philanthropic endeavours
of the crew of onr ice-schuit ; and every one went
over the ice to salute their acquaintances, their
friends and brothers. As there Was no possibility
of bringing in the vessel in safety, n very high pile
of powdered ice lying between the piers, which
could not be removed without immense labour and
trouble, the ship soon afterwards went off, after
taking on board some provision for a brig-ship
which was still aground, and each of the men be-
longing to the ice-schuit had taken a farewel of his
friend. Sunday the said vessel and ice-schuit re-
turned ; and now a labour was undertaken, the
execution of which was considered as impossible by
some who lay claim to skill in these affairs. Our alert
mariners assembled; axes, saws, and poles, were
the weapons with which they assailed the rocky
strudures; every one is on the spot to see this Her-
culean work, and all aelp, according to their respec-
tive powers, to bring this vessel through the ice:
hundreds of spear tors now promenade the sea, and
some even without danger, approach the edges of
the ice, against which the billows exhaust their force.
In the most charming order, and with inde-
fatigable diligence, the work was continued till the
evening, under the dire Lion of A. Betting, master
of the ice sloop, Bauker de Beer, liaurd van Dyk,
Geert ftoelols, KlaalsTielzes, Fr.ins van Dyvenbode,
and Simon de Haan; and on Monday it was renewed
with fresh vigour. Fortune proved favourable ; and
at noon they had nearly approached the harbour. Now
arose the great difficulty, that of removing the pon-
derous and lofty mass of ice which lay before its
mouth ; and even then a disappointment might en-
sue, in case the ice was too fast at the bottom. But
a labour, undertaken with courage, surmounts
nearly all impediments ; and, after incredible pains,
they succeeded in making a passage before the Sche-
gen, when the ice-schuit immediately passed through
it, and in a few moments the ice in the harbour was
broken. In the me.in time, one of our fellow-citi-
zens, achipper Freerk Lykles, not imagining that
the harbour would be beset with ice, had sailed
from Brockershaven hitherwards, and the passage
not being then cut, he lay on the side of the Cape.
All was now ready, and a burst of joy every
where ascended. Immediately endeavours were
made, with three pieces of new rope, to draw the
ships within, one after the other, which did not very
speedily succeed, en account of the strong north-
east wind ; the Baag (an inland trader) got aground
before the soittli pier, where she was obliged to re-
main two or three hours, before she got atloat; this
happened in the evening ; and we hid the satisfac-
tion of seeing both vessels in our harbour.
In the interim, some bootin, had been eteded on
the ice, and on Monday the ereCtions went forward ;
so that Tuesday and Wednesday, as well as to-day,
there is a perfed fair on the sea, where every kind of
accommodation is afforded. ,
Every one goesn out to take a view of this singu-
lar spedaele--especially as we are so far advanced
in the season--and to share in the general mirth.
Pedestrians repair to an immense mountain of ice,
lying at the south-west of the harbour, from whence
there is a charming prospect of the assembled mul-
titude in the city and on the sea ; and on the other
side the spacious sea, here and there beset with rocks
and points of ice, where persons are seen perambu-
lating. In short, from hence is a pro,ped, which
the art of painting shall perpetuate ; and we are,
witnesses of an event which neither history nor'
poetry should pass over in silence.

At the late Assizes at Lincoln, a cause was tried
before Mr. Baron Gitailasi, wherein Sir William
Manners, Bart. was Plaintiff, and Henry Stokes (a
stay-maker, at (;rantham), Defendant, which, ac-
cording to the opening by the Plaintiff's Counsel,
appeared to be for the recovery of 221. Ils. 6d. ad-
vanced by the Plaintiff to the Defendant se !Ong ago
as 17th OCtober 1796, to help him in hi: trade. A
note of hand was given of that date, payable, with
interest, on demand ; but it was di:close) by the '
Plaintiff's own evidence, that the same was advanced
for the purpose of enabling the Vefendant to pur.
chase his freedom in the borough o Grantham, and
that more than one hundred freemen of that borough
had given bonds or notes to the Plaintiff (who has
ever since the General EleCtion of 1796, made pre-
tensions to the borough) for small loans, and that
such as had voted at the last General Eldtion for
the Candidate brought forward,by the Plaintiff, had
not been called upon for either principal or interest,
and that the Defendant had voted against them.
The Learned Judge, in suitming up the evidence,
stated, that the principal question was, whether this
is a bona fide salisisting security which ought to be
enforced; that is, whether the note was payable at
all events, or whether, if the defendant voted for the
interest of the plaintiff, it was not to be insisted upon,
but was so to be if he' id rot vote for him; it the
latter, that it ought to be reprobated in a Court of
Justice, and is a contrail which the law will not en-
force, as it deprived electors tithe right of exercising
their franchises with that freedom the Constitution
requires.
The Jury, after a few minutes consideration, gave
a verlid for the Defendant.

The case appeared so cleAr fr, m the evidence
given on the cross-cxaminat'on oi the Plaintiff's
witnesses, that it was not necessary for the Defen-
dant's Counsel to call a single witness.
verdidit will enable more than Itrec hundred
persons to exercise their franchis.n cling to their
own inclinations, thereby restor.a Lew the right
of ele6lion.