The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-08-24 00:00:00

EXTRAORDINARY COMMITMENT UNDER THE

NZWirAGRANT ACT.

[ Prom titeßurrs:.--lrielts of Someday. I
Between two and three weeks ago James limner. of Bound*,
and William Wood. of (handle, both in the county of Northamp-
ton, were committed to Aylesbury Bard, and to hard foto. r, fur a
rakolor month, on a charge of collecting money under Ns.. pre.
tenceL Thr Prionnera. it appears, are duly lie-erased preachers.
and in the habit of preaching at the plaeN above-mentintietl, acid
in their vicinity; but at the time they were taken into custody were
collectiog money in the town of Newport Pagitell, in this county.
The purpose for which they were making this collection, it now
toms nut, so far from being a falae pretence, wan that for stitch
they had been specially authorised and deputed by a certain reli-
gious party or sect, aho had erected a meeting-house at Rounds.
the whole expense of whirl, they had been unable, nut of their
I own funds, to defray. The rontniitment M the prisoners under
these eirconistanees has excited, wherever known, a great semis-
hem ; and the Honourable Rohert Smith, one of the representatives
of this county, is, we understand, to submit the me to the Ad-
; journed Sessions to-day, when we hope the prisoners will be lift,-
rated. Ulterior meastares, we are also informed. are about to he
adopted by the friends of the prisoners, before the proper tribunal,
to obtain for them redress, and to repel the attack made throogh
them upon the civil and re helmet rights of the subject. The
parties who deputed the prisoners to make the collection, which is
charged on theta as an offence, have forwarded to Mr. Smith a full
detail of the circumstances., attested by their respective signatures,
and have transmitted to on a request to insert the following as a
copy of their letter to Mr. Smith :
" To the Bon. Robert smith, H.P. one of his Majesty's Jus-
tices of the Peace for the county of Buckingham.
" We, the andersigned, inhabitants of Raunds, in the county
of Northampton, most humbly and respectfully deg leave to state,
that Janie* Horner, of Ramat.. and William Wood, of (handle,
are now confined in Aylesbitry Gaol, to which they were a fort-
night ago committed by the Rev. Mr. Latencies, on the information
of the Rev. Mr. Marshall. under the new Vagrant Act, charged
with collecting money under false pretences.
" That the said James Homer and William Wood are duly
licensed to preach, and as Ministers of a religious sect, called
Baptist Revivalists, are in the constant habit of preaching at
Raunda anti I kindle, and within a circuit of about eight wile;
round the neighbourhood of those places.
" That the Society of Baptist Revivalists have recently erected,
a nteeting-louses foe peddle worship at Rounds, at an expense;
(including the purchase of the ground) of one hundred and forty
rounds; and that bring unable to defray the whole of such ex- I
prose, they authorized anti deputed James limner and IVilliani :
Wood to solicit and collect pecuniary assistance from the public', I
in full confidence that whatever money might be SG obtained
would be faithfully accounted for to the suckty by their two
brethren.
That while the said limner and Wood were collecting enntri-
tuitions in the town of Newport Paguell, in a quiet and orderly
manner, they were taken into cumutly, cum 11l i t tint to prison, and
the money they had collected, amounting to M. Ills. Md., was
taken from them; that they are now enitteelled to work in the pri- I
son, to the injury of tne,r bodily health. 1
" That the said Horner and Wood are persons of sober, pious,
and respectable habits, and bear an excellent character In this
neighbourhood.
• We, therefore, most earnestly and respectfully implore you
to take the ease of our suffering brethren into your consideration,
rand to use your kind exertion and interest to alleviate their lis-
t Ms.
, " Dated this 11.1 th day of August, 1824."
[Signed by Christopher Williams, Minister of the Baptist Revi-
valists, and about twelve tither persons.)
MAKING THINGS I.OOK SMART.
_...._

It is remarkable that great talent is often found accompanied by
extraordinary peculiarity of character and disposition. Great 'Niue,
authors. painters, and musicians, have in all ages been distinguished
by an eccentricity of manner, a iinvereign contempt for externals, or
a detestation of common terms and habits. An instance of this sin-
gularity of mind is afforded in the person of a man well known In
the musical world by the name of Frank I thugh, who has long figur-
ed in the best circles as leader of &quadrille band. This extraordi-
nary being, by the pliancy of his temper, can form a level in almost
any society, and has alternately ranked with a duke and a coal.
beam. With an extensive knowledge of musical science he unites
n pewee of execution on various instruments, that even amidst the
blue of Italian refinement and splendor would be still wondrous
111111 delightful. Ile has played in every public and many private
orchestras in London, and would be caught at by any it he would
take an engagement ; but it would be just as practicable to stein
the tide as to bring poor Gough into the observance of a systematic
attention to business; and he would at all times rather play for,
pleasure than for money. Equally indolent in all his habits, he
cares nothing about appearances, and is frequently mistaken for a
Jew clothesmati, an Italian image-maker, a Methodist preacher, a
' Yorkshire horse-jockey, or • Dutch smuggler. In each of those
opposite characters he is equally at home, and no one knows that
he is Frank (lough, the eccentric fiddler, until he holds sweet dia.
mum with his violin, in which his own soul seems for the time
completely wrapt up. Regarded by many, and admired by more,
fur dhow very eccentricities, lie generally has more calls than he can
well answer, and more tuition than he can do justice to. The
following anecdote is related of this singular personage :
Mr. I'., a gentleman of fortune, residing in the neighbourhood
Vinsbury.square, who haiebeen for sonic years the most favoured
pupil of our Mus. Doe., was about giving a bridal party, in hu-
mour of his sister, who hod been newly Married. when it occurred
to hint that the talents of Gough would prove a rich treat w many
of his musical friends ; lie therefore engaged him for the occasion ;
sod as he was willing that his old master should come out with the
greetut eclat, he hinted to liough that he ought to make some al.
teration from his contontary apparel, so as, at all events, to
make (hinge look a little tnia,f before an brilliant an assemblage.
Gough stared, appeared to feel piqued by this indirect censure on
Ids outward man, yet finally promised to attend to the suggestion.
The wile night arrived, the music saloon was thrown open, the
isouthany, numerous and splendidly attired, were amusing them-
selves, ad interim, with the efforts of • very tolerable band, and all
anxious to hear the celebrated Gough, who, however, had nut yet
made his entre'e. The patience of the audience began to tire, and
Mr. I'. conjecturing that some sudden caprice had kept this erratic
star out of his constellation, was about to form the company into
quadrille sets, when • loud knocking at the street-door announced
the arrival of another guest. In a few seconds the saloon was
thrown open by the servants, and a stately personage was ushered
to the presence, whom every one peed at, though no one knew.
pis dress might lie said to belong to no country or age, and yet
partook of the character of all large bag wig, sumiounted with
an immense toupee, gate some notion of a Frenchman of the Ilth
century a small stock, of the old English fashion, with point lace
ruffles, f;ormed the ornamental appendages of the neck ; a vest of
whits satin, curiously embroul:resl, and edged with gold lace, next
caught the eye, as the wearer thew from one of the ample pockets
a splendidly mounted snuthhoz, which he gaily tendered to the
master of the ceremonies; the coat was not unlike that of a chief
mandolin of the Celestial Empire, profusely ornamented with gold
lace, and brood marl buttons of the finest carving ; the breeches
were of yellow satin, puffed and slashed with purple ribbons; the
stockings were white silk, having rich scarlet clocks half way up
the leg ; and to complete this caricature of fashion, the shoes were
exactly the Sallie as those worn at one time by the celebrated and
somewhat singular Charles James los, having purple fronts and
pink heels. A modern sword and modern hat were the only appur-
tenances of this nutre figure that belonged to modem times. With
grave dignity he bowed to the truly astonished company, who sup-
posed he had dressed for a masquerade instead of an ordinary bail.l
Mr. P. was equally guildhall, until on a closer examination of the
countenunce he traced, in the altered lineaments, that of his old
master, Gough, who hid just taken his place as premier amongst
Apollo's taloa ere. The gentleman's astonishment was too great .
to permit of any delay in inquiring the course of this miraculous
trausformatimi ; " For God's sake," said he, " have you lost your
reason ?" The fiddler hemmed, struck • chord finely ia tune, to.d
replied, " No." Then, said Mr. I'., " why have you chosen such
a dress as this, Frank?" With a look that bespoke the utmost
complacency and self-satisfaction, Heigh surveyed his figure in an
opposite mirror, and, exclaimed, " Mr. le, when you engaged Inc.
you expressed a hope that I would try to look somewhat smart ; I
have endeavoured to comply, and it' I don't look smart now, who
the 41-1 does?" Further contention was vain, Mr. P. returned to
the company, enjoined their silence, (lough resumed his si nation
and, by a free exercise of his matchless talents, made ample amends
for his singular conduct.

A Senec it Chu 1. ruN.-3'he Glasgow Chronige thus)
mortis the feat of • fellow, whom it would be much better to keep
a week than a formight :—•• On Tuesday evening a dinner was
proposed for an individual in • public house, along
.with some
others taking a dram. 11' bin the dinner arrived front his lodgings
it consisted of ont• gallon of broth, containing I lb. harks, and Id.
cabbage, Id. troth of turnips; I lb. oat bread, a kg of lamb 3
lbs. In weight. two lambs' heads, I pluck. and the contents of the
2 heads, all which he finished by eating in a Nekton manner. A
person in c ttttt patty proposed n wager that the same individual al-
luded to would eat another lamb leg of 3 lbs. weight as soon as it
could lie mule ready ; an opposite person took up the wager, bets
doubled. The leg was sent for without loss of time—it weighed 3
Om stewed and made ready fur eating in less than an hour ; when
set before hint, lie began with his usual voracity, finished the half
of it, and exclaimed, •s had it been older killed, I could have
eaten it with pleasure."
ATTEMPT TO At IT ant a.—Karly on IVednesilay morn-
ing 31r. Dow in rairfielduntiss, Ayrshire, met with an injury
which threatens hit existence, in a scuffle that occurred between a
ploy of smugglers and tome sailors in the neighbourhood of his
farm-house. The smugglers, while crossing the sands between
Monkom and the sea and passing by the farm of Fairfieldwains,
wire beset by two or three sailors, who, on their way from Troon
to Ayr. h..pnened unfortunately m ems. their path. Assuming the
character of the men employed in the Preventive 1:M0 'V Ul4lll the
coast, they first threatened to sriee the spirits which the smugglers
carried with them, but at length compromised the duty of their Fro-
rented office by taking a note as a bribe to allow them to pass. No
sooner. howevey, lied they thus obtained the money than they in-
sisted to loin wane of the whiskey also, and actually succeeded in
taking one 401 time casks from them. smugglers could nut
silt•ntly polititit to this second and outrageous imposition, and lIMU.
rally went to Mr. Dow's house, and called hint out, with the view,
thmogli his aid, of recovering their whisky. Ile unfortunately at-
teer:s.l to their milieu. and went out to remonstrate with the
sailors upon their conduct ; but lie had no sooner approached them,
the • one of them took out a knife and stabbed I • in the lower part
of the belly. Mr. 'low, notwithstanding the wound, succeeded in
• wresting the knife from the sailor, and this dusted the fray. The
sailors made off. The wounded man, • ith the assistance of the
men he endeavoured to save from imposition, regained his house,
' j when he now lies dangerous ill. The Moir is under examination,
and the constables are in gust of the otrenticr...-Glarguw rarer.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

BETTING ROOM, YORK, Siacknar Nunn,.

It is not in the recollection of any one when greater charm,"
base been ;maimed on the ;Awn than the running at York has
caused thin year; the fluctuation in the odds, particul rly on Mu-
houtorf, may he conceived when our sporting reaches are told that a
wal.known charuetcr on the turf, intmediutely after his tieing beat
bir the produce, actually laid 29,000 to 1.9131 against him ; and
the od. a two-days after were nut more than seeen to one again*.
him—this day month, however, somebody wiil be wiser; au the
mean time, caution should he the watch-word.
11074 CAST ER ST. I,L a --4 to I ■gat. Swiss (taken); 7to I
agst. Brulardorf (taken); It) to 1 apt. Streathem; 9to I apt.
flutiont: ; 12 to I apt- Al tistachin ; 14 to I agst. Altisirlma filly;
12 to 1 apt. Helenas ; 16 to I apt. Jerry (taken); Ili to I apt.
St-rah ;Dlto 1 agst Taranetts; 2)) to I agst. Cadiz ;20to 1 agst.
Equity ; to I agst. Blue Beard; 40 to 1 apt. Canteen.