The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-05-19 00:00:00

ENGLISH OPERA HOUSE.

In consequence of some extensive alters:lons to be effected in the
Stage and Orchestra of the theatre. preparatory to the commence-
ment of the Summer Season of the English Opera, the Public are
respectfully apprized that this is the Last Week but Three they will
find MR. MATHEWS AT HOME.
This Evening. THURSDAY, May -lll„,and on Saturday,
ki 11. MATIIF.WS' MEMORANDUM-Sook
of Pecullikities, Characters, and ‘lanners,colleeted during his various
Trips.
Songs—. Memoranda in Coufnsion"—. Night Coach"—" hubbies,"
a capital Song—" Sailing Match"—•• Old and New Tiums*—" Publis
OCkee, Bow-street."
Pas? 111.-4 Monopolviogue to be called
THE CROWN INx...OtNGEH.
Doors open at Seven: the Pert..numr.reto c..mmence at light.

THE APW,Efhw CON.
lIFCDIATILPArROPIACR OW !111.8

b w.. 060 a --
The fonowlng SELECTIoft of MUSIC will be performed by Mr.
PUHKIS on the APOLLONICON, a Cirand Musical Instrument.
invented and constructed by Messrs. Flight and Robson, Organ
Builders, 101, St. Martin's-lane:—
BART I.

Overture, Tambora I H Immel 'ls el darene Olorartl—Waltz
(Mozart), with Variations (Purkisl—Air, Thro' the forest, thy,' the
meadows,' Der Freischutz (Weber)—Ql•ertiniento, and Selections
from Don Giovanni (Purkisl.
PART IL. . -

Ororture, Der Freitebutz (Weher)—Mr. Cherry ripe' (C. E. Horn)
—GlPlertilee welsh)—.fir, ' If a youth Would meet a maiden' (Weber)
—Storm Concert.. (Stleb,ll).

•
N.B. Mr. Markle's Performances will )c continued every Saturday
during the Servant.
The Mechanical Powers of C:ti epollonleon are exhibited Daily,
from One till Four (c-xcept during the OLIO of Mr. Purele's attendance),
performing Beethoven's celebrated Overture to Prometheus, Mozart's
Overture to Zauberdote, and Haydn% Grand Military Movement
from his Twelfth symphony, in the execution of which it has been
hun.eured with the sanction of the mat eminent mechanical and
musical men of the age, and is aliowed to possess a grandeur and
variety of effect, with a precision and s delicacy of expression, impo-
rter to any other hunt ttttt ent in Europe.
'('be Mush, arranged for and set on the Cylinders by Mr. Flight, Jun.

The BiIiTISIIPaEss commenced publishing yesterday morning
at ten o'clock.

LONDON, THURSDAY, M•r 19, 1825.

As we had predicted the failure of the Catholic Bill in
the House of Lords, we can hardly be supposed either to
be much surprised at such a result, or to be unacquainted
with the causes which were likely to lead to its rejection.
That it will strengthen the feeling of public discontent in
Ireland we have no doubt ; there are enough persons
active and on the alert there, a:, elsewhere, to keep alive a
spirit of civil commotion, whenever any new fuel can be
brought to feed the flame., We lament deeply, and have
always lamented, the disabilities to which the Cathelics
are subjected; but we do so because we think they are
sufficiently loyal, and sufficiently enlightened, to make it
both impolitic and unjust to exclude them from those,
places of trust and profit under the State, to which the ta-
lent, and rank, and wealth, of such at least as possess
these qualifications, fairly and in reason entitle them.
And it is because we believe them to be thus loyal and en-
lightened, that we feel convinced the objects of their ho-
nourable ambition being for a still further time withheld,
will not make them forget, on that account, their duty as
good subjects, or forfeit that charactef which has begot so
much confidence in their loyalty, and brought so much
countenance to their cause. The present conduct of the
Catholic priesthood, in a neighbouring nation,was certainly
ill calculated, at this crisis, to remove that alarm, which,
whether well or ill grounded, prevails but too generally
throughout the kingdom, and which necessarily occasions
strong apprehensions as to the clangor of increasing a power
which they not only feel to be capable of perversion, but
which, as far as they are capable of seeing its supremacy
in actual exercise, is calculates! to excite a degree of terror,
which makes the zealous friends of the Establishment re-
gard it as imperative upon them rather to strengthen the
outworks than to remove the barriers. We cannot
be persuaded to enlist ourselves under the standard of
those alarmists ; but our knowledge of human nature in-
duces us to make allowance for the fears, without distrust-
ing the sincerity, of those who believe that the Protestant
Establishment would be endangered by any important con-
cessions to an antagonist and hostile Church; and that
although the professions of the Catholic Priesthood may
he tolerant while they are weak, their conduct might not
be conformable to those principles if th..y were strong—
that they might be inclined to exercise their supposed
prerogative, as the Ministers of Heaven, to extirpate he-
resy, as in times of old, and to drive the ungodly, after
their own manner, into the fold of the faithful. But we
look to the Catholics of Ireland, not as Catholics, but as
citizens of a free State, and born to the blessings of a free
Constitution. We look to rank, and station, and office,
as to those prizes which every Government has more or
less for distribution, and which ought to be distributed
to those who are qualified for the discharge of all the
functions they require, and all the duties they impose,
and this without regard to what religious opinions they
may hold ; because it is of the essence of all real liberty,
that conscience should be unfettered, and the mind be',
, always free. It is for this freedom that our forefathers
have valiantly fought; and though we are no doubt
justified in shutting the door of the State against those who
would disturb its peace, it does not follow that we are
warranted in refusing those rights, the perversion of which
we might punisb—or in withholding those claims,the abuse
of which it is amply in our power to provide against. if
we were impotent to effect our own security against danger,
the case would be different ; but this we consider as an
I object of no very difficult attainment. We are at present
worked up to the summit of our fear; we should
only have to work ourselves up to the summit of our valour.
As to the rest, there is no danger that we should unlock
the doors of preferment to the Catholics too quickly ; and
while we abstain, as we are likely enough to Jo, from a
too lavish liberality, there is little risk that we shall con-

I cede too much, either for the security of the Church or
the safety of the State.
'That the loss of the Catholic Rill in the notice of Lards
will beget any turbulent feelings in the mass of the Irish
population we do not at all believe. That the peasantry
are poor, and wretched, and destitute, is true ; but their
condition is no: to be ascribed to the absence of any benefit
they would derive from what is termed Catholic Emanci-
pation. Itrliat is wanted in Ireland is capital; there wants
wherewithal to set in motion the looms of the artificer,
the ploughs of the husbandman, and the labour of the
peasantry : supply this, and Industry will spring up, and
quiet, and contentment, and prosperity, will follow in her
train., At present the great body of the Irish population
suffer oppression of a deeper and very different kind
from any that is brought upon them by exclusion from
political office, and by any other causes from which any
Catholic Relief Rill could deliver them. You may give
them Catholic Emancipation, but will that give the
labourer employment ?—will it give the peasantry bread?
The system in Ireland is radically bad ; it is pregnant with
turbulence, and faction, and crime. Much, very much,
has been dune by Lord WELLESLEY more for the real
and permanent good of Ireland was never accomplished by
any man that ever yet presided over her Councils ; but the
s.eds of evil are deeply sown, and to destroy them is not
in the election of any Lord Lieutenant, be he who he
may. To bring Ireland to that state of wealth and in-
dustry to which she is capable of arriving, would give full
employment to the wisdom of the wisest Statesman ; but
in the present state of things we doubt if, with the very
best intentions, the means are within their reach. The
fault is in the foundation. '

The Paris Papers of Nlenday coutain!no news of im-
portance. We have in atiother column extracted the most
interesting articles.

CITY, WEDNESDAY EVENING.
Very considerable interest was excited this morning in the City,
to learn the effect that the decision of the House of Lords on the
Catholic Question would have on the Funds. By some the most
glormy apprehensions were entertained; but they vanished into
thin air, and the Money Markets were all exceedingly firm. Con-
sols for Money and the Account bore precisely the same prices.
They opened at 90, afterwards declined to 894. and closed after a
day of extensive business, at 904 ; the Market at the time present-
ing a steady appearance that indicated improvement.
In the Foreign Market, although the transactions were limited,
the prices were buoyant. Spanish Bonds, which have maintained
themselves very well throughout the last severe depression, fully
supported themselves this morning. Those of 1821 were at 231
and the New were at 1114 19. Greek Scrip was lighter by per
cent., and there were many buyers in the Market; it was 64 6; the
Bonds were 51. South American Securities may be included in
the general improvement. Colombian Bonds were at IN, and
Mexican 24 discount ; Brazilian Scrip was at 1 premium ; and
Danish ditto at 3 ±4 discount.

The business in the Share Market was confined to the three
Companies that have for several days absorbed all the attention of
jobbers, viz.—The Pasco-Peruvian, the new l'otosi, and the Cie.
neral Mining Company ; the first were done at 94 10. the second
at 44, and the last at 9 ; but the business was not exten►ive iu any
of them.

The sales of Coffee and Sugar in Mincing_lane, this morning,
fully bear out the expectation that prices will not decline.

The Duke of York and the Duchess of Gloucester
visited the King yesterday.
Yesterday the Duchess of Gloucester dined with the
Princess Augusta.
Prince Leopold and the Duchess of Kent honoured the
Italian Opera-house with their presence on Tuesday
evening.
Mr. Secretary Canning transacted business yesterday,
at the Foreign Office, Downing-street.
From the Gazette of Tuesday it appears, that the Draw-
ing-room, which was to be held on Monday next, is fur-
ther postponed till Thursday, the 9th of June.
The alarm which has prevailed among the holders of
Greek Scrip, respecting the reported successes of the Turk-
ish forces in the Morea, induced some of the principal of
them to address a letter to the Greek Deputies, to which an
answer was immediately returned to the following effect :
That the Deputies had none but the most favourable intelli-
gence from Greece, and that the public were deceived by per-
sons who made a business of fabrication. They stated also
that the Medina was at Navarino on the Mt April, that she
had given official intelligence at Corfu, that in •n engage-
ment which had taken place near the town the Turks had
lost 500 men, and that besides 2,000 men in garrison in
the town, the Greek army, 10,000 men strong, was at the
time of her sailing within view of the enemy.
A private letter from St. Thomas's states that the dis-
astrous fire which took place lately in that island was
caused 14 a negress, who placed a lighted candle in a cask,
as a superstitious means of bringing the curse of Heaven on
the individuals who had stolen some clucks from her. She
was soon afterwards sent out of the house, and forgot the
light.
The Ladv Combcrmcre, Capt. Foster, arrived at Liver-
pool, on SaiurtlAy, from Cape Coast, whence she sailed on
the 6th March last, at which time that place and the Gold
Coast were in tranquillity. The European troops con-
tinued sickly. His Majesty's ship Esk arrived in Cape
Coast-road a few days prior to the departure of the Lady
Combermere. It was reported that General Turner had
arrived at Sierra Leone. Ilia presence was mach wished
for at Cape Coast.
Extract of a letter, dated Maranham, April Lord
Cochrane is on hoard his frigate, some miles distant from
the city. Very serious consequences are apprehended from
the dryness of the season. The rains generally commence
early in January, and hitherto we have only had a few
partial showers. It is expected the cotton crop will be
very small, and an almost total failure of the farina
and rice."

An Englishman, named Lloyd, has formed the singular
idea of making war upon the bears in Sweden, Norway, and
Finland. He passed the last winter in a desert part of the
Swedish province of Werme!and, where, with the assist-
ance of a Intntamas, be destroyed tit bears. He has now
passed into Norway, and proposes to terMinate his expedi-
tion at Petersburgli—French Paper.
A preparatory Meeting was held at the Freemasons' Ta-
vern, on Tuesday, for the purpose of establishing a Society
to investigate the right of the inhabitant houseolders of
cities and boroughs to he burgesses, and in that character
to return Members to Parliament; Lard Nugent in the
chair. J. Williams, Esq. M.P. moved, that a Society be
formed for the purpose already mentioned ; Lord Glenorchy
seconded the motion, which was put, and carried unani-
mously. A public Meeting was appointed to be held on
the Bth of June. •

In the Diorama at Paris are exhibiting, views of the city
of Rouen and the Abbey of Koslin.
Yeaterday a Court of Directors was held at the East
India House, when General Lord Combcrmere, G.C.8.,
and Lieutenant-General Sir George Townshend Walker,
G.C.8.,t00k the usual oaths upon being appoi n ted, the former
Commander-in-Chief of the Company s forces at Bengal,
and Second in Council, and the latter as Commander-in-
Chief and Second in Council at Fort St. George. They
afterwards dined with the Directors at the City of London
Tavern. Capt. Robert Locke, of the ship Duke of York,
took leave of the Court previous to departing for China
direct.

Saturday the great steam engine was set to work on the
tower that forma the principal shaft of the grand royal
tunnel under the Thames. The work is going on with
great rapidity.
There are at present two hundred and five prisoners for
trial at the next Old Bailey Sessions.
' Another ease of infanticide occurred last week ; the
mother is in custody to abide the result of the Coroner's
Inquest, which has been adjourned.--Tuesday's Liver-
pool Advertiser.

THE': ROYAL. NATIONAL IN‘'TITUTICPA'.
FOR THE PRESERVATION OF LIFE FROM
WRECK.
surroaTza 31,/ DONATIONS AND VOLUNTARY (ORME'.
TIONI. ESTABLISKED He 1824.

The Committee have presented to the public their fis6t
Annual Report of an Institution which elevates the Eng.
I ish character, exalted, as it already is, by the projection
of establishments calculated to meet, and to relieve, este_
:pity, under almost every shape it can assume. His Ma-
jesty, the Gracious Patron of this Institution, is knolrn to
feel a most zealous interest in its support ; and we rejoice
to perceive that tiro nobility, clergy, gantry, and leading
commercial men in the metropolis, have contributed to-
wrrds it with an exemplary liberality that cannot fail
eventually to number it, in time, among the most perms,
vent, as well as prosperous, of our national institutions.
Its objects are not yet generally known among the riatu-
factoring districts and inland towns, nor among the more
remote parts of the sea-coast ; but Every day will contri-
bute to this end, and we feel assured that the more exten-
sively they become known, the more will its patrons nm'.-
tiply, and its means of service be increased. These means.
t'tough at present circumscribed, have been instrumental
in producing such results, in this their first year of ope.
ration u fully evince how much more misery may be
averted, and how many more lives preserved, when the
funds of the Committee shall enable them to enlarge the
humane sphere of their exertions. We learn from the
Report, that among various suggestions that have been
offered to the Committee, measures have ken proposed,
I. For the prevehtion of Shipwreck.
It. For preserving the Lives of shipwrecked persons.
The latter is the principle on which the Institution is formed •
and the means chiefly relied on for the attainment of this objco.,
are—The formation 0: suitable eaablislintents of lifeboats and
apparatus on the most dangerous parts of the coasts of the Visited
Kingdom; and the exciting to exerti3n, in the hour of danger, sea.
faring persons residing on the spot. by the certainty of relief being
afforded t 3 their widows and families in the event of any welkin
happening to them ; and conferring Oh them honorary or pecuniary
rewards as an acknowledgment of their efforts in saving (nada-
vouring to save the lives of others.
On an examination of the numemus plans which hare been sub.
twitted to their consideration, it appears to the Committee that the
best method of saving the lives of shipwrecked persons, when the
vessel is driven on shore, or stranded, is by opening a continuo-
cation from the vessel with the shore, rather than from the shore
with the vessel. A communication being once established, a boat
or hawser, or other material, as circumstances may require or
*emit, can easily be conveyed to her, by which means the crew
may escape : and therefore the Committee consider that it would
be very desirable that every vessel should hare on board the means
of such communication.
Some ingenious plans have been suggested to the Committee,
which stein well calculated to effect that object ; and they under-
stand that the having on board every ship sonic such means of cent.
inunication, was some years ago strongly recommended to the
owners of merchant vessels, by the Elder Brethren of the Trinity
House, and the Ship Owners' Society : the Committee, however,
have learned with regret, that these recommendations hare not
' been anted on, or, if acted on, only to a very limited extent
Of the apparatus to be used from the shore, hone have appeared
preferable to life-boats, and the mortsr apparatus invented by
Captain Manby : the Cornvittee therefore directed their early at-
tention to the ascertainment of the best principle for the construe.
tion of life-boars. In the course of their inqatry' they received
from distinguished Naval Officers and others who had tried boats
of various descriptions, the most favourable report of a plan in-
vented by Mr. Plenty, of Newbury. The Committee have caused
twelve boats to be built on this principle, of sizes adapted to the
stations at which they are to be placed ; and three other boats, on
a different plan, by Ale. Skelton, of Scarborough, for stations on
that side of the coast, where his principle of construction was us.
derstood, and approved.
The stations at which the Committee have established, or made
arrangements_ for establishing life-boats, are
Dungeness Bridlington
Newhaven Boston Deeps
Brighton Isle of Man
Teignmouth 2 stcotland
Penzance 2 Ireland
Bideford 1 other boat is built, the station
Boulmer not yet fixed.
And with the assistance imp sanction of his Majesty's Govern-
ment, they are enabled to place Captain 51anby's apparatus, at
111 argate Banff, North Britain
Plymouth Frawerburgh. ditto
Penzance Peterhead, ditto
Portreath Dunbar, ditto
Fishguard COW ingham, ditto
Tynemouth Rhineshark, Tramore Bay
Isle of Man Ferriter's Cove, near Dingle
Stranraer, North Britain l'ullendiva, near Sligo
At many other places similar Establishments are greatly wanted,
and at those plates they accordingly propose to form them as soon
as the state of their funds shall allow.
The Committee have great satisf .ct ion in adding, that Derides the
life-boats before-mentioned, others have been stationed by hearse-
lent individuals and associations not connected with this Institudor.
at the following places:—
Sussex - - . 1 between Beachy Bead and
Hastings
Hampshire - Hurst Castle
Devon . Teignmouth
Corn wall - Padstow District
Fishguard
Il'hirehaven
Douglas
North Shields
Holy Island
Sunderland
1 South Shields
Redc,ar
I Hartlepool
Seaton
1 2 Whitby
Scarborough
Filey
Spurn Point
Yarmouth
near Itougbam
Cromer
Hunstanton
lilakeney
f flollesley Bay
1 Low estoffe
4 in the Harwich 'linnet
f 1 Montrose
11 Newhaven, near Leith
11 Sandy Cove
- - 1 Kinsale
1 Howth
The Committee have the further satiifsetion of reporting, that
not less than sixty sets of Captain Illanby's apparatus, with mot.
tars, die. complete, under the direction of the Coast Guard and
Coast Blockade, have been established by his Majesty's Govern-
ment _

Pembrokeshire -
Cumberland .
Isle of 11 .

Durham . . .

Yorkahirs . . .

Norfolk . . .

Suffolk . . .
E..ex - -
Scotland .

Ireland .

The Committee here feel it their pleasing duty to notice, that the
officers and men in those services appear on every occasion that hx4
come to their knowledge to have exerted themselves is the
gallant and meritorious manner, in Raving lives from shipwre, s.
The Committee have had the satisfaction of recording some •
stances of manly daring in which these brave men hate succeed":
in effecting their benevolent object. They have also bera most
importantly serviceable in preserving property from shipwreck and
plunder, and in a very particular degree have been instrumental in
promoting the objects of this binevolent Institution.
The Appendix to the Report contains a list of the cases
in which the Institution have voted honorary or pecuniary
rewards to the persona who have been instrumental /0
saving the lives of persons ahipwrecked, or in the endeavour-
ing to save them. The number of lives already preserved
by those to whom the Committee have granted rewards,
is one hundred and twenty :four, exclusive of three whvle
ereive, numbers unknown.
It is the great praise of Eni'lishmen, that their benevo-.
lence is always sending forth a stream of service to their
country, in some channel or other: and in no channel cm
that stream flow more usefully, than in that to which we
have been adverting, "the ROYAL. NATIOWAL INSTOITC-
TION for the Preservation of Life (tom SHIPWRECK.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE BRITISH PRESS.
SlR—Perhaps some one of your legal readers will clix',ltte the
following point, if it be posaible so to do ; but I sin :'.dined to
tbiLk that our legislators have erred therein
//rjhre the Statute 5, George 11. c. 30. Sect. the drporifio"B
in bankruptcy could nut be adduced in evidence, by:range the depo-
nents hail not undergone cross.examination thereon, but be that
section those depositions were, or, if lost, a 01)1
cif the record
thereof was, male evidence in case of the death of the tlepocerts
the primary but not sole object of that section was the bentttt
e.
purchasers of bankrupts' Daisies.By the new Act, 6ch Gone ' •
c. 16, the former Act is repealed as after next August. Now. 5'
the new Act does not render the depisitions. or a copy of th,
record thereof, evidence, except only the depositions the:noir/sin
actions by the assignees, for dal!: or demand,. it follows that a (so-
char of landed property, under a bankruptcy, may in at:non:
against other persons than the bankrupcs, and than those claws,
under the bankrupts, be defeated in the event of the deaths of ISe
e
pers3ns capable of proving the bankruptcy, notivi;hatisdinA
depositions may exist, and notwithstanding they may be actually
recorded. This, if so,
is
a most serious evil, which ought te be
rectified immediately. 1 am, Sir,
Your obedient Sereari.
May 18, 1825. J.IV .11.8.

A Court-martial was bekl on Friday on board the
Genoa, 74, in Ilamosse, we Mir. Wm. Turner: late outset of the
Harlequin, when he was adjudged to be dismissed rom his M
jesty's service.