The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-03-11 00:00:00

CUSTOMS.

The following is the official copy of Qr. HuxlEiasoa i ter
solutions, proposed in the irmeintrttee on Monday :
" 1. That from and after the 25th day of March, 11174, themes.
sal chitin and drawbacks on the importation and exponents Otis
several sorts of silk hereinafter mentioned shaft cease and dater.
mine; and also, that from and after the 3th day of July, )8* dos
prohibitions on the importation of Sak manufactures snail MINI
and determine, and that the following daties shalt be paid M Sus
thereof ; that is to say,
On Silk, from and after the 25th day of March, 11124,
vu. on raw, or knobs, or husks of Silk, or waste of
Floss Silk, the lb. . . . fy
On Thrown Silk, not dyed, the lb. . - 7 IP
On Manufactured Silk, from and after the Stb day of
July, 1826, for every 1001. of the value thereof . 10 0 •
" 2. That from and after the sth day of April 1914, the bounties
on the exportation of Silk Manufactures shall tease and determine,
save and except on any of such Manufactures so shall have been
duly shipped for exportation, or shall bare been warehoused fog
that purpose, on or before the said sth day of April, MS.
••3. That upon all Silk imported, upon which the duties than
have been paid, and which shall be warehoused on or before, and
remain warehoused until after the 25th day of March Mt, diem
shall be granted the following allowances, via.:—
On raw Silk, imparted from any part except the British
territories in the East Indies, the lb. - . S 3
On Silk thrown from raw Silk, so imported, the lb. 0 S IC
On raw Silk, imported from the British territories in the
East Indies, the lb. - 0 3 It
On Silk thrown from raw Silk, so imported, the lb. - 0 4 1
On foreign thrown Silk imported, not dyed, the lb. -0 7 2
4. That front and after the sth of Jtdy 1024, the duties on the
importation, and the prohibitions on the exportation of Sheep or
Lambs' Wool, shall cease and determine ; and that on the imparta-
tion of any Sheep or Lambe Wool (not being the produce of any
British importation) imported directly from thence, and also on the
exportation of any Sheep or Lambs' Wool, there shall be charged
a duty of Id. the lb.
That the duties on coals, etibn, and cinders, brought roast.
wise from any port or plate into the port of London, or by inland
navigation to certain places in the counties of Middlesex and lien-
ford, shall cease and determine, and that the following datles shall
be paid in lieu thereof ; that is to say,
Coals, culm, and cinders, except charcoal made of wood,
in cases they are such as are most usually sold by
weight, the ton - -E 0 4 0
In case they are such as are most usually sold by mea-
sure, the eltakboa, Winchester measure . 111 6 •
Brought by the Grand Junction or Paddington Canals,
nearer to London than the stone or post at or near the
Northeast point of Crove Park, or brought down the
River Thames nearer to London than the City stone
placid on the West aide of Staines Bridge, in die
county of Middlesex, the ton . - 0 1 0
,• 6. That one tenth pert of the bounties now payable en the ex.
portation of Linens shall, on the sth July, 1924, cease and deter.
mine ; and that one other tenth part of the said bounties now pay.
able shall, on the sth day of July in every succeeding year, also
cease and determine."

We understand, from a quarter on which we tan rely,
that it is not the intention of Madame ('atalani to sing
again at the Concerts Spirituel at the Opera House.
Rossira.—lt is certsin that N. Rossini has made an
engagement with the Royal Academy of Music for one
year, to commence in Jitly next. He into compose a grand
French opera and an Italian opera, and will besides pi r-
form two of his operas not yet known in France, one of
which will be given at his benefit. It was to be feared
that sonic better offers from other Courts might prove an
obstacle to this engagement ; but M. Rossini has recalled
to his memory the cordial reception he experienced from
the Parisians, and has hastened to evince to them the
greateful sense he entertains of their good will, by seek-
ing a second time to obtain the honour of their approba-
tion.—Paris Journal.

Alms. SIDDUNII —Dr. Le Mann, the medical attendant
on Mrs. Siddons, has contradicted the report in circulation
of the dangerous illness of that lady. She carne to Lon-
don very much indisposed in the month of January; hit
her health has been improving progressively since that
period, and it is now so far re-established as to allow her
to enjoy the society of her family in the drawing-souna
almost every evening.
TREAT RICA 1. Cli I T-Clll•T.—Miss Foote, of Covt.nt.
garden Theatre, is to be married to a youth of hkotPel.
a-year. Miss Beaumont, of the same Theatre, is to be
married to Mr. Owen, of the India liouse.—Curk .SGoithervi
Reporter.
We learn that the new comedy which is about to be
acted is from the pen of the Km George Croly. 'rem
scene is laid in Sicily.

s
t

Or

P"i. I

11

le r

RE.ItiIIIKS ON THE VAGRANT .ICT.

(Continued fromvor raper of February 2s).

1/r. Caneasi.i., in his work on Sptimalie nerAgy,
lthx us that Tii.LoTsiiis used to read his sermons to an
illiterate old woman who lived in his house, and that for
any wont or expression that she did not understand, lie
sul.stitiited a plainer. It would he well if lawyers and
legislators would follow this wise Prelate's example. If
Mr. vi I), for instance, had framed his VAG RANI
ACT iu imitation of this pricedent, and had Strailled its
vosetments through some such intellectual sieve, till he
had purged it of all that was unintelligible, he would at ,
least have done himself some credit, though he might not
116 c done the State much service. There is not a single
chluse in it, from the first to the last, that would not have
been infinitely benefited by passing this matronly ordeal.
On reading the second clause, fur example, when Mr.
hetwyml came to that part which enacts that all i'0711710:,l
tretalifilr'S shall be deemed idle and disorderly persona,
and that "it shall be lawful for uny JuNtier the Peacc
to anima such °W enders, being the elmrieled before
him, I y'd,as tai m view"—the old dame would have lifted
up her spectacles, and, with a blush of motherly moduty,
have entreated 1 • to make his meaning bs tter understood.
If this Act is to be amended, as we premium' it is intended
to he, it weld(' certainly be advisable to stet r clear of such
t quivocal dialect.
_ _ .

Let us now proceed with the third enactment. —To all
bearwarls, all the Common stage-players, all the persons
i rig to be gipsies,• and all pe:sons riooliot,tr to tell
fortunes, are added, all persons " playing or petting at any
unlawful game." Now, to enact that any of his Majesty s
subjects shall be deemed and taken to he rogues and vai;a-
bonds, and suffer as this Act directs, for playing ur betting
at any unlawful game, without either declaring what
games are to be held unlawful, or off, ring any criterion by
which any one can judge 'what is an adnailie/ game, mani-
fests not only en ignorance of the principles of penal law,
but an utter disregard to the maxims of ordinary justice.
There is no end of the oppression that may nut a'
practised under a law couched in terms so vague, and
creating oli::nees so indefinite. What is here ine.tnt,
for instance, by the generic term " game?" A game at
eihst, or at tilt attlecock ; at bowls, or at blindman s-buff
al cribbage, or at single-stick? All these are, for aught that
appears to tht: contrary, within the statute • for we are left
i bout any et i terton by which we can tell beforehand whe-
ther they are pectin' or unfauja ! Are rouge et nob, or
hazard, or fain, unhorlid guises? This Act gists us no'
clue to discover whether they arc or are not. Let us sup-
pc,se for a moment that they are: the next question that
te ill he put, and to which those who affirm them so to be',
are bound to furnish an answer, is—in what dues the an-
t refill ness id these games consist? We next ask, are chess
t,r 4,w/id games? I f they are, what is it that makes
t!,e one lawful and the other unlawful? They are all
I quail', toomi.e.fehonce, and if played at merely for Muse..
111.VIlt, and without any stakeas to the result, it seems im-
possible, on any rational or legal principle of selection, to
say'tbat this game may be played at, and welcome, and [lu,l
puilisht d with imprisonment and the tread-mill—that if you
a 11.1.154• yourself at one game you are void of offence, and if
at anatbet,ia itseff equally harmless you are a sects. and a
vae.A hos o ! It is momtrous to legislate in this way.
Poe•s Mr. I'lll I'VfYsu conceive,—it really appears as if he
did,—that nothing more is necessary to the making of penal
statutes, than to indict punishment, and to levy enaltics ?
Will he be• pleased to point out to his Majesty's subjects
the !do, which defines what is an unlawful game? If he
cannot, will lie be pleased to explain to us how any game
can be ,m/esold which no existing law prohibits? The
great mischief to the public from having a criminal statute
that creates otlit.ces thus indefinitely is this:—That it takes
away from every one of us the safeguard of the Law and
the Constitution, and brings us under the imperious domi-
nion of Magistrates, who may construe the act to be either
lawful or unlawful, according as, either from personal or
part y feelings, they wish to rid either themselves or the
b4.,aer powers of any one whose removal or ruin may hap-
pen to be desirable. When in the instance before us, for
ciample, it is not defined, and consequently is not known
beforehand what game is unlawful, the accused is at the
!grey of the Judge ; since arty game is unlawful which he
as *axed to pronounce so be so. Thus, a despotic audio-
lit) is let loose upon wa, tVom which au man twist king-
dem is safe, and under which any act of oppression may
'be perpetrated which the time and occasion may happen
to Gall for.

Mr. Choi:6r utfs Vwant Act runs counter to all our re-
osivtd • aiik al justice. It breathes a spirit of
vithat.Eag men have been accustomed to call tyranny—a
derarirthrpirit, which they have no wish should be eon-
; Aral back. In the instance before us, it is most important
tq call the public attention to the fact, that the words, " or 1
slaying or kitierg at any nattee:lid game," create a substan-
tire but unexplained (Armee, without requiring, for the pur-
pose of evapectiox, that the parties should have relayed for
Money. They may have played for mere pastime. Bat if;
the Magistrates, in the latitude of interpretation which the
vague term " umlauted game" authonses, should choose to'
oarumit them to the common gaol, and assign them a due
interval of what they arc of late pleased to call the hmelthy
eltereiw of the tread-mill, they have no resource but sub-
mission, and away they must go.

' We are often informed, for instance, by pultlie wire.-
11settaamt, that a Main of Cocks is to be fought. The
intelligence is emoted by the Feeders' nutrias, that the
Amateurs may rely that the feathered combatants have
beat w:11 trained for the battle. Snwooeany of us, lovets
di a cock-tight, should pay down our admission money, and
take our scat in the chyle : while we arc absorbed in the
doubtful contest, betting with ottoman five to four, or two
to one, the Justices of the Peace, who have become of late
so watchful over the iniquities of our common nature, thud
rat tunring to old Kelpie a Rapala 510, that a person wee
convicted keeping a each-pit, and that the Court
then deeithsl, that cock-fighting was an tadaulir/ game,
contrary to the Statute 33 llcn. Vlll. c. 0.--on a sudden,
to our utter consternation, in conic the police officers, and
away we all I,a), cockers, feeders, betters, umpires, ante-
tee,: --all f.ie of? under guard to the 'louse of Correction,
rand Abet) we pray to know wherein we have offended, we
Lam that we come within the words, " playing to betting
at ant/ en/au:tai game," and that wit are melted down by
I,hie single line of the Vagratit Act into the common mass
df rogues and vagabonds, and are to be dealt with accord-
tgler. Really this is carrying the seal fur rt:Annation and
be love of stimmary
,jetatiee vornewhat too fat: it leaves
no matt in safety.

With great deference to the legal knowlefte and se-
quisfements af Mr. Changes t
ll arttufr
Aron'•tt no game is an/used in Neg. and as
cards or dice are played with merely for amusement, and
as a contest skill, neither he, nor any one also, has any
right to interfere. The Member for Sudfurd would have
done well. before he employed himself to cull all the sta-
tutory inflictions that have been passed upon the idle and
tliserilt rly. and to condense their scattered perfections into
we!. evmolidated Act—he would have done well to have
svul el at I,,ist the elements of public justice, and have
111qUAIIILS1 111111144 with the moral runt: upon which
r.nislon,nt ilmohl be inflicted, and which can alone jus-
t.fy the infiictinA.it. Without this reparation be Hoist
is' wholly aatit for the weighty task of "consaidaing
.rao,..ii44(' the laws, whatever class he may stied
as the ohit et ni his labours. Instead of clearing away the
relibish, lie will remove the land-marks. In the resent
instant •, :is it respects the 1.4r051 Act, be lets manifestly
put his to much too severe a trial. It is plain to
Le
.seen that the structure of his understanding is not at
all fitted to the enterprise.