The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-03-22 00:00:00

UNION HALL.

.......
Yesterday, Mr. Carr, an Officer in the East India Company's
Naval Sery ce, who bad been apprehended, and given no little
trouble to Clarke the officer, at an early hour in the morning, was
held to bail for an astesuit upon Mr. Bone, of Bermondsey New
Road, to whom he had sent a challenge.
OLD PASSAGE FERRY ACROSS THE 31fl'EllY.

It is with peculiar pleasure we learn that, thus early in the reason.,
active operations have commenced for improving the mode of
crossing the Severn Estuary at this point, an object to those who
visit Monmouthshire, South Wales, and the South of Ireland, of
considerable importance. On the 10th inst. at an early hour, a
numerous and highly respectable assemblage of ladles and gentle-
men had arrived ;t the Beschley side of the Old Passage. to wit-
ness the ceremony of laying the first stone of the Pier. The day
was uncommonly propitious; aed so great is the interest which the
projected improvements have excited in the country, that fresh
parties of the first respectability continued to pour in up to the
hoar when the tide was sufficiently retired to get at the foundation.
It was expected that his Grace the Duke of Beaufort, with whom
it has long been a favourite object to improve the communications
with Monmouthshire and South Wales, and who has warmly
patronited this undertaking, would have been present to do the
honours in person. Unfortunately, however, his Grace's absence
from Iladmintoa prevented him, sad he therefore requested Philip
John Ducarol, E:q., the Chairman of the Old Postage Ferry As-
sociation, to act as his deputy on the occasion. Abort four o'clock
the Committee, with Mr. Ducarel at their head, preceded by Mr.
H. H. Price and Mr. Armstrong, the engineers (carrying the
plans, &c.) arrived on the ground.
Mr. DUCAIIEL then addressed the crowded assemblage around
him, in an elegant and very appropriate speech, in which he des.
canted with touch torceon the successful application of steam to the
purposes of navigation. He stated, that the Association bad taken
advantage of this power, and that a steam-boat of adequate force
was nearly finished for this station ; but that, to render the accom.
motlation complete, it was necessary to construct, from high to low.
water mark, a pier, the foundation-stone of which he was about to
lay : the public would therefore hereafter enjoy the greatest valve-
nience, from so perfect a mode of communication between the two
shores of the Severn. He concluded his very animated and forcible '
speech, by inviting all who heard him to join in pious aspirations,
for the success of this undertaking, to that Omnipotent Being,
without whose aid all human exertions were vain. From the vast 1
and highly respectable assemblage by which he was surrounded,
more particularly by the countenances and smiles of his fair court.
trywomen, he augured the most favourable result ; and, cheered ,
by the orient beams of the setting sun, which seemed to have shone I
with peculiar brightness on this auspicious day, he could not help
quoting the words of • distinguished poet, fancying, that in iota-
glutton's ear he heard
" Netted Vaga • echo thro' her winding bound,
" And rapid Severn hoarse applause resound."
lie then laid the atone with the usual formalities, and the air re-
sounded with the,plaudits of the surrounding multitude.
The Col ttttt ittee, and several of their frieads, then adjourned to
the Beschley Passage House, where an excellent dinner had been
provided by Mr. Williams, the respectable landlord, which was
served up to a party of above fitly. Captain Jenkins presided ; and
the evening parsed rain the trite style of Old English conviviality.
The workmen were plentifully 'regaled, and the day terminated,
without the slightest accident, as happily as it had begun.—Glou.
cest‘r Journal.

• Vaga, a name of the Wye.

SAINT HARTIIOLOIIEW'S HOSPITAL.—The publicity
given to the, proc2edings of the Coroner's Inquest on Mrs. Alcock,
and the strong declaratuins of the Coroner, seems to have had the
desired erect. A special meeting of the House Committee has
been held, and it appears directions given for theattendance in future
at Coroner's Icquesta, not only of the gentleman who may officiate
as dresser to the principal surgeon, but of the principal surgeon
himself. An Inquest was held on Monday, to inquire into the cause
of the death of a carpenter, named John Jesoop, who had fallen
from a sufrild, erected in front of a new built house in Fiusbury
Circus, and wax carried to the Hospital, where he lived but one
day; at which Mr. Lawrence, one of the principal surgeons, and
Mr. Leese, his dresser, were summoned to attend. 'l'he former
gentleman did not appear, but the latter stating to the Jury that
the deceased had said he fell off the scaffold by accident. they re-
turned a verdict accordingly.
Dettilitugrivs FIRE AT Ltvrileoot..—On Monday
arming. abcut one o'clock. a ffrs pas diecovered in the warehouse
of Alr. Price, /hi p-ehenalleronsal roper, Duke's-plata, opposite to
the Duite's Do k. The flew commenced, we were informed by a
person wlin was on the spot at the time, in the cellar. It gained
fead rapidly. In about ten minutes the first floor of the building
was on fire; the flames ascended to the upper stories ; and, by two
o'clock, the warehouse, which is six stories high, was on fire in
every part. Tire tire blew strong from the north-westwanf, and
fanned the element into destructive and terrific fury. The front of
the warehouse was, soon after two o'clock, one sheet of tire. As
soon air the roof' fell in. flaming brands and burning sparks arose
into the air, end were driven by the wind over the adjoining yards
and hOrtses, which were literally covered with the burning frag-
menta; a cimaintstsiice which excited great alarm In the neigh-
bourhood of Barter-street, Harden-atreet, &c. The West cf Eng-
land tire-oilier engine was the first on the spot ; it was followed, in
shunt tea minutes, by that of the Norwich Union office; and,
supplies of Water having heen obtained froni the mains of the
Howie Waterworks Company, they began to play, with great effect,
upon the trarthotue and the contiguous premises. We lament to
woe, however, that the flames, after destroying the warehouse,
caught the shop of Mr. Steele, the optician, the interior of which
was entirely destroy& as well as the valuable stuck-in-trade of
that gentleman. Fiirtnnately the flames did not communicate to a
warehouse at the back of the ship-ohandlery store, or the loss of
property wonht have been serious, it beiug tilled with a large quart-
thy of valuable produce. Many of the families In the immediate
neighbourhood of the warehouse removed their furniture, and,
though the tire did not reach their houses, they will be serious
sufferers by the melancholy accident. The Norwich Union and
the West of lingland Fire.office engines continued to play upon
the burning pile and upon tie adjoining premises. Four or five
other engines were upon the spot, but up to three o'clock not one
of them could obtain a supply of water, and they were thcrerore
totally useless. They were subsequently supplied, but by the
time they got a supply of water, the tire had stied away from want
of fuel, all the timber in the warehouse having been consumed.
The morn shown brightly during tan conflagration ; yet it threw a
terntie glare over tho atmospheme and the reflection tinged the
clouds, as they H w rapidly acmes the face of the heavens, in a
very beautiful manner. It is awes(} far circumstance that the
fire should break out on a Sunday slight, and in the cellar. We
hope it has not been the work of an iiwondiary --Liverpool Albion.
A mortality of about one in twenty would probably keep
the births on a level with, the deaths, though all married
at twenty years of age. The alma mortality in Eng-
land is about one in fifty-elght.

FROM LAST N;Giirm GAZETTE.

rower' alike. )larch 21, lelJf.
The King bee been 'leered to eepo'.Blt trittlain Stuart Pay, DR. to be
Cub,tut at Cowes, for the kinelbro of 117311UVVt.