The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-08-17 00:00:00

other crowded towns, more closely and less carefully built.
It is singular, that in a city which is better watched, paved,
and lighted, and whose police is, upon the whole, so much
superior to that of any other in the world, the prevention
of public conflagrations should have been almost entirely
overlooked. It is true, we believe, that in every pariah
there is an engine or two kept at the public expense, with
about the saute number of firemen ; but these engines, and
their managers, are generally found to be unfit even to
quench a burning chimney. The safety of the town de-
pends on the provision made for that purpose by the
fire insurance offices, amongst which, we are informed, the
burden is very unequally borne. These offices, however,
have no authority or control over the water companies,
without whose aid all their well-pr ovided apparatus is we-
; and thus we often have neighbourhoods thrown into
alarm and confusion by fires, which most frequently on their
first discovery might, with a sufficient supply of water, be
easily extinguished. In the late fire in Greville-street, it
appeared to some observers, with whom we have conversed,
that the destruction of the printing-office in which it com-
menced might have been easily prevented, if the firemen,
immediately on their arrival, could have brought their
engines into operation. .The Catalonian Chapel, near to
Hatton-garden, must certainly have been destroyed on
Saturday night, for want of water, if the firemen had not
obtained a considerable supply from a large cistern or well
as the adjoining premises. These matters are worthy of
public attention, and we trust that these recent occurrences
will not be allowed to pass over without having the effect
d admonishing the palie of the necessity of instituting
same efficient regulation of police, with reTect to this
subject, in every parish in the metropolis. If any dis-
inclination should exist on the part of the water come
parties to accede to the arrangements which may be
devised—a circumstance we by no means anticipate—
application must be made to Parliament, to impose
upon them the obligation of affording the fullest sup-
ply of water, where the general safety requires it.
The cost would be but trifling to establish reservoirs at
reasonable distances throughout this great city.
- -
The Duke of Gloucester has left Cheltenham within
these few days, having remained there his usual time, for
about three weeks, which his Royal Highness has been
accustomed to do for some years past. The Royal Duke
proceeded from Cheltenham to Lulworth Castle, where his
Royal Highness is expected to remain about a fortnight.
A letter from Paris states, that several Cabinet Councils
bad been held by the French Ministry upon the representa-
tion of Russia, that it would be proper to give some assist-
ance to Spain to recover her Colonies in the event of their
refusing to agree to conditions, of which, the Holy Alliance
should be at once the proposers and the guarantees.
A letter from Bogota, of the 9th of June, states that
6,000 men had been ordered to proceed from Cattbagena to
Panama to reinforce Bolivar; and that a levy of 5,000
more upon the upper provinces of Colombia was to take
place immediately.
It is not true, as stated by a cotemporary, that the fit-
ting out of the transports destined for Cape Coast Castle
has been suspended.
The Parliament of Lower Canada was cEsselved on the
6th ult. by proclamation.
Extract of a letter from the Agent to Lloyd's at Cadiz,
dated July 27 :--
" The Vice Admiral Duperre arrived on Saturday off this
port, from Brest, in the Trident of 80 guns, with some frigat a,
brigs, and schooners, and were joined on Sunday by part of the
squadron which has been so long here, and proceeded to the
Mediterranean on Monday.. The French call this squadron
Is'escadre dc evolutions; their nomiral object is to rendezvous at
Toulon, there to be received by the Minis7cr of Marine from Paris.
The squadron consists of Trident, Vice-Admiral Duperre, HO guns;
St. Petri, Rear. Admiral Baron die Rotour, 80 guns ; four frigates
of 60 guns ; five ditto, of 44 guns, several, brigs and ocheoners."
Foote, Aeouse 11.—On Thuredav last arrived at this
port, from Newfoundland, the brig Hope, Captain Wil- ,
ham Bell, who eves taken ill two days previous to his ar-
rival, and died on Sunday last, in the 24th year of his
age, to the inexpressible grief of his parents and friends,.
who had been anxiously expecting his arrival.
We hear that the principal oleiect which the Lord Provost
bad in view, in visiting London, has been attained, and
that Government has agreed to facilitate the conversion of
the Excise Office into a mansion house for the Chief Magise
trate of the city.—Caledonian Mercury.
Lord Norbury, we bear, has at length shewn unequivo-
cal symptoms of resignation; his Lordship will he succeeded
in his office of Chief Justice of the Court of Common
Pleas by Mr. Joy, the present Solicitor-General for Ire-
land. Mr. Sergeant Lefroy will, it is said, be the new
Solicitor-General, and in the rootn of the latter Mr. Leslie
Foster the new Sergeant. Lord Norbury is the oldest
Judge in the United Kingdom, and is, we believe, 27
years of age. At eighty he partook of the pleasure of the
chase, was a bold rider, and the most dashing fox-hunter in
, the field.
Tits RETORT COVRTEOVI.—In a horse cause which
was tried at York the other day, Mr. Scarlett, in addressing
the Jury, mid, that "if the horse was a roarer, he only
eomsponded with some Counsel who, as the Jury well
knew, roared sometimes ; and they probably would hear
some roaring soon." Mr. John Williams, at whom this was
directed, in the courscoof his reply, observed that " Mr.
fizirlett said something about a roaring lawyer ; himself lie
could not mean. Had he (Mr. AV.) compared his learned
friend to a horse, or to another animal of the same species,.
but which had shorter legs and longer cars, he would nett
bays much admired it; but be (Mr. W.) would not. Ile
left it to his learned friend to deal in such ironic taunts,
who, he presumed, ftom his superior ,cation, conceived he
was entitled to use them towards inferior Counael."—
Durham Chronicle.
Having made inquiry concerning the fate of Miss 11.
whose afflicting misfortune was noted in our paper
last week, we are enabled to inform the numerous friends
of that amiable young lady, that the professional gentle-
men echo are in attendance no longer entertain any appre-
hensions for her recovery, which is certainly, though pro-
gressively, advancing. The burns were chiefly on the left
ride of the neck and head. As soon as the invalid shall be
pronounced sufficiently restored, the whole family proceed
to the South of France, for some months, to try the effect
of that mild climate.
COUNTY KILDARE.—A Dublin paper says—"We learn
with great pleasure that the idea of transferring the Sum-
mer Assizes from Atli), to Naas, has, up n mature consi-
deration, been abandoned; and that his Grace the Duke
of Lcinstcr has most munificently given the sum of one
thousand pounds, for the purpose of enlarging and im-
proving the gaol, and of purchasing a piece of ground, to
form a gaol-yard at Athy. '
I The Honourable Robert Smith, one of the members for
Buckinghamshire, has already began to canvas for his re-
election in the next Parliament, at the town of Chepping
Wycombe and its neighbourhood. A contest is expected
for the city of London, but not for Westminster ; and a
new candidate, it is said, will offer himself for the county
of Surrey.—Brilleis Traveller.
De Et..—Suturday morning, between five and six o'cluck,
meeting took place :n the rear of the Oliservatory in
Greenwich Perk, eetween Lieutenant D., of the Royal.
Navy, and G. ll—, Eel., the former attended by a Mr.
V—, the late r by Captain Nl—, Royal Artillery.
After an ineffectual fire, the seconds interfered, and mat-
ters were adjusted to the entire satisfaction of all partite,
when they returned to own the best friends imaginable.
The quarrel was said to have originated at a private bil-
-1 hard room the night before, on a decision of a point in the
game.
('al' Fury TO ANIMAIg.—A Paris Cmyespnntlent rays—
" The French cry aloud against the barbarity of our
boxing watches, our bull-baiting, dog fights, &c., yet they
appear to have no feelings of humanity for the feathered
creation. There is a cruel custom at the village fetes
around Paris, which they call /a sir a Foie (throwing at
the goose). The wretched bird is suspended a lire to a 1...1e,
and the young vulagers arc to slew their dexterity by
throwing sticks at the suffering victim, till they can carry
oft' the hotly of the tint, karing the head alone remaining
tat the In our most fropular sports there is something
which bears an affinity to national courage. In this barba-
rous destruction of a helpless bird by a lingering death, we
see uothing but cold-blooded inhumanity.'