The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1805-03-12 00:00:00

SIIFF.IFFS OF MIDDLESEX.

The CH ANCLLLOR of the EXCIIEQUER
stewed the Order of the Day for calling in Counsel
its be ntlf of the Sheriffs of Middlesex, upon so
much of the report of the Middlesex Committee in
1802. as regarded their misconduit.

Mt. ADAM was then called in as Counsel on be-
half of the Sheriffs, and, after some prefatory
oisservations, he proceeded to state, that, the first
resolution was dirated to the proceedings of
the Sheriffs, Mr. Cox and SirW.Rawlins, on the 13th,
14th, and 15th days of the pull, in which the Com-
mittee stated, that the said Sheriffs had " wilfully,
knowingly, and corruptly" admitted the votes of
upwards of 400 joint-tenants of a mill in the parish
of Isfeworth, with the view of giving Sir Francis
Burdett a colourable majority upon the poll.
Upon this resolution the House had certainly very
good reason to pause, before they could consent to
its adoption. The petition presented on the part of Mr.
Mainwaring against the elation and return of Sir
Francis Burdett, alleged no more than " partiality"
in the Sheriffs; hot the Committee, in stating that
the Sheriffs aft d " wilfully, knowingly, and corrupt-
ly," had exceeded the premises to which they ought
to have confined themselves, and therefore he had
to contend that the report, any further than respat-
ed their partiality, was not within the province of
the Committee, and should not be allowed to stand.
The 2d Resolution of the Committee stated, that on
the I sth day the Sheriffs had rejected, in the even-
ing, several votes under similar circumstances, ten-
dered for Mr. Mainwaring ; but, through the whole
of the proceedings, he could not find a tittle of evi-
dence to substantiate that tad. The 3d Resolution
was, that it appeared to the Committee that the
Committee abed sometimes in a judicial, and at
other times in a Ministerial capacity, contrary to
the rules of their proceedings in other cases ; but if lie
should, as he made no doubt of doing, prove the
propositions to be false, and that the rules were laid
down at the beginning of the Elation, which were
never swerved from during its progress, to the ter mi.
nation, he should consider his task concluded,
and his clients completely exonerated. In judging of
the manner in which they exercised their funetions, it
must be recollected that the Sheriffs of Middlesex,
and those in question particularly, were men train-
ed up in the habits and oecupations of trade,
whose manners, courses, or educations, did not
fit them for judging of all the niceties and sub.
tleties attendant upon the administration of
the Elation Laws. Their conduCt, therefore,
was not to be judged of in the same manner as that
of professional men, who may be placed in similar
circumstances, and should be entitled to more in-
dulgence than if they were executing an office which
could be of any advantage to them, or to which
their pursuits could have been adapted. The Learn-
ed Counsel then proceeded to state what were the
laws applicable to the duties of Sheriffs, when act-
ing as returning officers. The first Statute which
he found for regulating their authority, was that of
the seventh of Henry VI. which distinetly confined
their power of enquiry, or of administering an oath
of the value of the freehold, namely, 4.05. a year.
The same rule was precribed in the ads passed in the
reigns of Q. Anne, IVilliam, and Geo. II.; and, i ir the
year 1695, two cases occurred in regard to the elec-
tions for the counties of Norfolk and Dorset, as
fully reported by that able Lawyer, Mr. Serjeant
Glanville—in which it was decided, that the only
power the Sheriffs had of administering an oath,
was distinctly confined to the value of the freehold.
'That similar decisions were made in the years 1642,
1692, and tti93, would be found detailed ia the re.

ports of Douglas, the Journals, &e. from which it
would be manifest that the Sheriffs had never the
power to investigate any voter upon oath, as to the
right he might have to his freehold. And he also
referred to cases in the years 1715 and 1745, to
shew, that it had been laid down, that the House of
Commons should not investigate the rights of any
sworn voter which had been.idmitted on the poll.
Supposing then, the Shoals to have been apprised of
all these precedents and authorities, was it not natu-
ral for them to conclude, and strongly to feel, that an
oath administered hl' them, on the authority of that
House, was sufficient to have a serious and sacred in-
fluence on the mind of him who took it, and who, if
forsworn, would afterwards be li4ble to all the penal-
ties of perjury? The Learned Counsel said, he
was sensible that he was speaking in the presence of
a number of gentlemen who were very conversant
with the eleftion laws ; but, he would venture to
call on the most experienced of them to say,
whether the Sheriff in election wished any better
criterion upon which to form his opinion than
the oath of the person who was liable to in-
dictment for perjury in case of being forsworn ?
He came next to consider the responsibility un-
der which a sheriff, in the execution of a duty
which was in a great measure coercively imposed
upon him, ailed. In the year 1763, an action was
commenced against a sheriff for not admitting the
vote of a person claiming to be a freeholder ; and
after the penalty had been awarded in the Court of
King's Bench, it was removed by writ of error to
the House of Lords, where the decision of the
court below was coefirmed. On that occasion the
House of Commons shewed a spirited disposition to
assert its own dignity, and entered its protec•
tion to the Sheriffs. Those who had read, or
witnessed the proceedings which then took place,
must know that the circumstance occasione a con-
siderable ferment, and produced a warm dispute
between the two Houses of Parliament ; the result
of which was, that Mr. Albany Wallis, the Soli-
citor in the Writ of Error, was called to the Bar of
the House of Commons, and severely reprimanded
for the proceedings taken against the Sheriffs.
Subsequently to that, however, several cases of
similar anions had occurred ; and as the House
of Commons had negltded to interfere, the Sheriffs
were exposed to penalties in all such cases, where it
happened that they committed any mistake, in what
they might suppose to be the exercise .1 their dis-
cretion. As the Sheriffs, therefore, at the close
of the poll, had no opportunity of corrcaing any
mistakes they might have. fallen into, he would
leave it to the justice of the House to determine,
whether the law boo ever meant that, fettered as
they were, they should subjea themselves to anions
for the rejeaion of votes, of which they had no cri-
terion to judge b., but the oaths of the parties who
tendered themselves If such was the intention, or in
contemplation of Parliament, he Mimed that they
never could have passed the Scrutiny Aa of the
25th of the King, which directed them to close the
poll finally at three o'clock. out the fifteenth day of
the eledion, and allowed them thirty days afterwards
to investigate the right of voting, in case a scrutiny
snould be demanded. Sven this Ad could not be.
construed to enjoin them to an investigation of eli
the votes, for if so, he would ask how it was to bt
expelled that the Sheriffs in the populous counties
of Yorkshire er Lancashire, in each of which there
might be 40,000 freeholders, could either investigate
the right of each voter, as be offered himself, er go
through the whole in the thirty days allotted for the
scrutiny ? In the present instance, the Shetiffs were
absolutely confined. In the poll, they had merely a
Ministerial capacity allowed them by Ad of Parlia-
ment, but on a scrutiny, they would be invest-
ed with a judicial capacity. The opponents of
Sir Francis Burdett, however, did not give them
this double authority. They confined them to the
ministerial Illation of colleOing the votes, but never
demanded that they should ad judicially by insti-
tuting a scrutiny. Having said so much with re-
sped to the law in this instance, he had next to ad-
vert to the falls as stated in the second resolution,
and, in that respell, be was prepared to contend,
that no blame could possibly attach to the modal
of the Sheriffs. The report and the evidence
would shew the House, that in the parish of Isle-
worth there were a considerable number of per-
sons who claimed to be freeholders en the ground
of their joint tenantry in a freehold mill, called
the Good Intent. In treating of this subjelt it was
necessary to divide his arguments into such obser-
vations as would occur, upon two distinct heals.
First—What was the rule of proceeding in the
course of the Elearm from its commencement to
the 13th day; and from that to the time when it
was finally closed ? The mill votes, he contended,
came in the regular and eniform rule that had been
laid down by the Slur without any variation,
since the commencement of the poll. Their conduit
WAS exactly the same as when there was no question
or expedation of the votes of the millers being ten-
dered, which was entirely unknown, and absolutely
a secret till the morning of the 13th, as may be seen
from the evidence of Messrs. Sylvester, Park,
and Borchelt. On the fish day a regulation was
agreed upon, that the freeholders' oath should be
put to every voter who came up to poll. He then
went at great length through the whole of the evi-
dence, and deduced from the uniformity of the pro-
ceedings, that there was no proof whatever of a
11/01w aqllllll4 on the part of the Sheriffs. At the
conclusion of the poll, he admitted that there were
a great number of voters crowding to the hustings
for Mr. Mainwaring, and a still greater number to
poll for Sir Francis Burdett, which were necessarily
rejeCted on account of their coming too late. On
the morning of the 15th day the majority was
25 in favour of Mainwaring. though the scale was
turned by time numbers that pressed afterwards, on
the side of the opposing candidate. In all this he
contended, that there was nothing to impeach his
clients, as being knaves or fools; knaves they must
be, if they suffered names to be publicly admitted
on the poll ; and they must be fools if they could
suppose that such partiality would not be detelled.
He commented rather sharply on the advice given
by Mr. Sylvester. as Counsel for Mr. Mainwaring.
That Gentleman, he said, was entitled to his re.
spell and to that of the public, for the laudable man-
ner in which he administered, in his place, the cri-
minal justice of the country. As a member of the
Lime profession, he was desirous of avoiding any
animadversions on him. which might have the ap-
pearance of severity ; but, however respeetable that

Gentleman might be in his own sphere, when de-
ciding on the Eleetion Laws, he was quite nut
of his element, and should have been mindful of the
old admonition, Ye Sutor ultra trepidam. The
Learned Gentleman then concluded, with recapitu-
lating the various heads of his speech, and added
his confident expeEtatipn, that having proved the
conduCt of the Sheriffs ttbt to have been infinenced
by any partial or improper motives, the enlightened
assembly which he had the honour of addresbing,
would not desire that any penalty should attach to
them.

Counsel having withdrawn from the bar ;
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
moved, that the said debate be now resumed.

The SPEAKER- then said, that, as the debate
Was to be resumed, it was necessary for him to state
the question, viz. " That the House do agree to
the resolutions of the said Committee ;" which hav-
ing done;
Isir. ROSE said, he had looked with the greatest
attention into the whole of the evidence on the table,
and thought there was as strong a case made out as
he had ever heard, which shelved, that no form of
eloquence, however used, could get the better of
evidence. The Sheriffs, he said, afted both as
ministerial and judicial officers, and the first point
in which he thought their conduft reprehensible, was
their general partiality, in having permitted a person
under the name of an orator, in the front of the
hustings, to make ludicrous and insulting speeches
against Mr. Mainwaring, all treating him with scan!
dalous grossness and indecency. The Sheriffs were
called on to interfere, when their answer was, that
he was a droll fellow ; and, instead of checking him,
they laughed at his jokes. The next thing was, their
permitting persons toexhibit black, coarse,bad bread,
dead animals, and bullocks liver, in the front of the
hustings, in order to excite indignation in the po-
pulace against the prison in Cold Bath Fields, and
thereby to throw au odium on Mr. Mainwaring, who
WAS one of the Magistrates, and, of course, to preju-
dice his eleftion. They also brought forward a
man stripped half naked, and another under him, in
the aft of whipping him, and when they had so
done as long as they chose, it appeared, by the evi-
dence of Kr. Burchall, that the man disappeared in
a moment. He thought it scandalous the Sheriffs had
not secured him. He stated also, that Mr. Sheriff Cox
had applauded Sir F. Burdett inhis spteches,and par-
ticularly those passages, in which he mentioned. tbe
Bastile. He did not mean to answer for what might
have been the Hon. Baronet's intentions, but there
could be no doubt the mob was greatly inflamed
by those speeches, and the Sheriffs who applauded
them must have perceived their tendency that way. li
His next complaint against the Sheriffs was, that
they had taken votes notoriously had. A mass had
described himself as living in Westminster-street;
and when Mr. Sylvester objected to him, on the
ground that there was no such street, Sir W. Rawlins
said, if he would take the oath, that would be suffi-
cient. There was, he said, a great variation in the
conduit of the Sheriffs, on the 14th and 15th days.
On the 14th day, Sheriff Rawlins took the oaths of
the Mill Voters of fay sir of Sir F. Burdett, and
when Mr. Mainwaring went t' the front of the
huitfigs, to °Nee to them, and told them, if they
would allow him to question them as to the time
they had been in possession, he would convioce
them from the voters own mouths they were not en-
titled to vote, Mr. Sheriff Rawlins pushed him
away in a very rude manner ; and yet, on the 15th
day, the said Sheriffs asked others of the Mill Voters
who were in favour of Mr. Mainwaring, that very
question, and, being informed they had not been in
possession twelve months, he immediately rejeCted
them. He then adverted to the sArcumstance of
the value of the freehold en which those mill voters
claimed a right to vote. He observed there were
seven hundred shares at market, at two guineas
and half a crown, yet, because Albion Cooper
had said he would not take 1401. for his, those
mill-voters had been prevailed on by persons who
should have known better to fancy and to say, that
they actually had freeholds of 40s. a year. Mr.
Rose then adverted to the Land Tax Assessments,
and condemned the multi& of the Sheriffs, for not
attending to the paper tendered by Sir W. Gibbon
on this subject, and said they turned Mr. Adolphus
out of the box, that he might not he witness against
them. A voter had also been examined, who own-
ed he had neither paid the land tax nor been assess-
ed, yet the Sheriffs took his vote, though by the 20th
Geo. c. 17, it is expressly enafted and declared, that
no person shall vote for a knight of the shire, with-
out having been assessed to the land tax six months
before the Eleftion. The Learned Counsel had
said, that the land tax assessment books were not in
the custody of the Sheriffs ; he allowed it, but the De-
puty Clerk of the Crown was attending with them
at Brentford, and they might have had them at any
moment they chose to send for them. There was an
Mt of Parliament, he said, against Under-Sheriffs
serving more than one year, which Aft was made
to prevent the abuse of the office of Under-Sheriff
by any one person continuing m is too long, yet, in
the very teeth of this Aft, Mr. Burchall had exer-
cised the office of Under-Sheriff for twenty-four
years. He insisted that there never had been a case
equal to this gross miscondwi of the Sheriffs in the
c;rcumstance of the Land Tax Assessments. The
question now was, nut what was to be done with
the Sheriffs, but whether the freeholders of Middle-
sex or the Sheriffs should chuse the member ? He
believed no man could take delight in punishing
any other fellow creature merely for the sake of
punishment; but it was sometimes necessary some
men should be punished, in order to deter others
from committing similar offences. Under these
circumstances he felt it his duty to submit a motion
to the House, which, if agreed to, he should follow
up with another.--He then moved
' That the House do agree to the first Resolution of the
Committee'. "

Mr. P. MOORE said, that after the able and lu-
minous arguments the House had just heard from
the Learned Counsel, he was astonished to hear the
weakness and frivolity that had been resorted to by
the Right Hon. Gentleman, who had just sat down.
It that Right Hon. Gentleman should ever be She-
rif of Middlesex, be wished he might be able to con.
duet himself in such a manner as to deserve equal
approbation. The Right Hon. Gentleman had
sewn there were fourteen or fifteen bad votes for
Sir F. Burdett, he could thew as many on the other
s' le, and the Committee had aBually struck of
I,boo votes as bad, aad there was a list of I'2B


r

votes fur Mr. Mainwaring, which were deemed ba,l.
because they were not Freeholders; whereas, tLP
mill-voters were not deemed good, only
they had not paid the land tax assessments. H.
should therefore vote against the motion.
Lord MA RSHA M, at considerable length, Jas.
t ified the conduct of the Committee in making the
resolutions they had done, and he did not think
that, from any observations he had heard, they would
be induced to alter their opinion. With regard to
partiality not applying, because there were other
votes as bad on the other side ; he allowed that seve-
ral votes given for Sir F. Burdett, by most respect.
able freeholders, had fallen to the gu ound, because
they were not assessed ; and he believed it had been
the constant praCtice of the county to receive such
votes, as there had never been a scrutiny before.
With respell to the annoyances, he believed ther,
had been several exertions made to prevent
them, and he thought there was no answering stria-
ly for events of popular eledions. Ile said the Cons.
mittee had not condemned the Sheriffs fur having
aded either ministerially or judicitl!y merely
such, but for having afted wrong, by sometim s tf.-
termiiiing one way and then another on the sti.ir
point, in support of which, lie cited many pair- r
the evidence. it was very easy, he said, to ad c •
sistently with their own construdion, an I their owo
adion, which they had, however, not done. and tre•
first and second resolutions constituted the ch.,n;eot
that inconsistency of condud. It was under these
circumstances for the House to determine what
course they would pursue.
The SOLICITOR GENERAL (Mr. Gibbs)
said, the substantial question for the House to de-
termine was, whether the Sheriffs, seeing Mr. Main-
waring at the head of the poll, did not, on the 15th
day, at the close of the poll, for the purpose of giv.
ing a majority to Sir Francis Burdett, alter their
condo& when the majority became in his favour,
and refuse to take votes of the same description as
they had done the day before ? He catered into a
very elaborate and learned investigation of the right
of the mill-voters, and ridiculed the idea of their be.
ing of the annual value of 40s. He particularly ad-
verted to the case of Albion Cooper, and shewed
from the evidence of Mr. Sylvester, that the She-
riff had declared he had no right to vote, but.
for fear of an adion, they had sent him to his
oath, which was sending him to certain perjury.
This, he insisted, was contrary to one of the rides
laid down by themselves, for it was proved by Mr.
Bryhnan and another, that the rule laid down by
them was, " that if they were convinced in their
own minds, that a voter had no right to vote, they
would reject him, though he offered to take the
oath." The Hon. and Learned Gentleman com-
mented very forcibly on several parts of the argu-
ment held by the Learned Counsel, and also on the
evidence, particularly as to the mill-voters, on the
13th day, who wet e not, he shewed, tendered till the
middle of the day, and then the question how long
they had been in possession was asked, in consequence
of a suggestion of Mr. Clifford, that these particular
mill voters were sent by Mr. Mainwaring, in order
to turn the majority, and to throw a slur on those
mill-voters who had been allowed the day before.
There were, he said, according to the evidence
of Mr. Clifford, 520 polled for Sir F. Burdett, on
the last day, besidcs the mill-voters; Among
whim were several Gentlemen highly respedable,
such as Mr. Sheridan, Mr. Erskine, and many
others, as Mr. Clifford described them, all the
old Whigs; yet, he believed, if it had not been fee
the mill voters, all the old Whigs would not have
carried a majority. Under these circumstances,
could the House have a doubt that the Sheriffs ab-
ed under an improper bias, for it was clear the She-
riff, in admitting Albion Cooper to vote, when he
knew he had no right, had aded against his own
rule. He should therefore. under this convittion.
vote for the motion, but if he should hear any argu-
ments, to convince him he was wrong, he would
gladly change his opinion. and vote the other way.
Mr. W. SMITH spoke at some length against
the motion, and thought the case had been much
aggravated by the Right Hon. Gentleman who
made it, though he might not intend it, by adverting
to the orator, and other circumstances, in a manner
much too severe and rigid. As to the orator, he al-
lowed it to be scandalous and shameful • and he
was astonished that so great a number of magis-
trates of the county should have daily attended
without noticing it. and that it should be afterwards
brought forward as a grievous charge against the
Sheriffs. He commented on many parts of the eel
dente, and concluded by expressing his disapproba-
tion of the motion.

Sir W. W. WYNNE said, he would not take up
the time of the House, but he must observe, on the
extravagance of the supposition that any min
should purchase, for little more than two guinea, .1
freehold, intitling him to vote at an eleetion, and
concluded by saying it was his opinion the Sheriff,
had aeled corruptly.
Lord HENNIKER also thought they had aelcd
corruptly, and differed from the Hon. Gentlentils
opposite him (Mr. W. Smith), as he thought it was
the duty of the Sheriffs, as well as the magistrates,
to keep order and regularity.
Mr W. SMITH explained.
The Question was then loudly called for, aid
strangers were ordered to withdraw, but no diri r
took place. When the doors were again ope..cd,
and upon the return of strangers to the Gallery,
Mr. FOX was speaking in defence of the Metals.
He maintained, that they had added in the manna
preceding Sheriffs had always done.
Mr. prrr moved, as an amendment to tlx li!‘t
resolution, which states, that the Sheriffs had as`trd
wilfully, knowingly, and corruptly, in admitnel
the mill-voters to vote, the following words : " a;
well AS by refusing to refer to the land tax assess-
ment."
The ATTONALT GIMER•L supported the amend-
ment.
The Question, so amended, was then put aed
carried.
Mr. ROSE moved, that the Sheriffs should, for
their condua, be committed to Newgate, and that
the Speaker do issue his warrant accordingly.--
Agreed to.
Mr PITT gave notice of a Motion on Friday
next, for leave to bring in a Bill to allow the Militia
to enlist for General Service.
Lord A. HAMILTON postponed his Motion re-
lative to the Irish Exchange, until this day sc'anT,lll.
Adjourned.

—_
TO CORRESPONDENTS.
The Poetry of D. C. S. has been received.
W LLLLL V and B was inserted test week,

BlitiTiSki PRESS

I ,ON DON,
TUESDAY, MARCH 12.

RicaAito ALszos Cox, Esq. and Sir WILLIAM
,WLINS. Knight, late Sheriffs of Middlesex,
List r;:lit ordered by the House of Com-
r:ons to be committed to Newgate. The
imicsit's writ will be issued accordingly for the
;irpose this day ; Mr. WILLIAM SMITH and
anther gentleman undertook last night, that they
be forthcoming in the mean time.

lir- Committee of the Lords, to whom the mat-
ter, arfaing Mr. Justice Fox have been referred,
are not expeaed to make their report until to-
morrow. The Fail of Esorsert I err, we under-
stand, has abandoned the charge which his Lord-
ship hitherto supported.

The Locust gur -brig arrived on Sunday in the
Downs, nearly a wreck: she belonged to our squa-
dron off Boulogne, and was ordered on Friday last
to run close in shore under Ambleteuse, and attempt
to destroy or drive on shore a number of small craft
proceeding along shore to the general rendezvous.
This service she performed most gallantly ; though
eie was exposed within pistol-shot to the fire of the
batteries, besides field-pieces. One of the largest of
the enemy's craft had struck, and she was in the aft
of lowering her jolly boat to take possession of her,
when a 32-pounder struck her foremast, which im-
mediately went over the side. The Frenchman then
Tehnisted his colours and got into port. We had not
a single man hurt on our side.

We have received Jamaica Papers to the 26th of
Jantiary. inclusive. The johti Ball cutter arrived
at Port Royal on the 24th, in 30 days from Ply-
mouth, with the declaration of war against Spain
Upon her passage she spoke the Arafto f. ;gay.
ori. Madeira, which left Portsmouth on the 28th of
November, with convoy for Jamaica ; but a few
days after, had patted from the convoy in a gale of
wind, an-. 1 was cruising off Madeira, with the hop,•
of filling in with them again. Ten of th- fleet had
arrived at Barbadoes, befor.• the 7,hi nal, which
touched there, left that island ; and it was believed
that the Ilyale remained in charge of the remainder.
The fever still raged among the inhabitants of
the Island, but the crews of our vessels were
healthy. The Mermaid frigate, Captain Hot tr.s,
was at the Havannah On the 15th of November,
and had given invitations to all the principal Spa-
nish Officers at the Havannah, to a ball and supper
rhat evening on board the Mermaid—when a brig
sent by Admiral Docuwo)trn arrived, and informed
Captain Hot ars of the war; he instantly weighed,
and stood out to sea, and the whole of the British
merchant-ships in the harbour followed, and were
thus preserved from falling into the hands of the
Spaniards.

A Gottenburgh Maid has arrived, with Ham-
burgh Papers to the 23d. The contents are given
so Qin last page.

Letters from Guernsey, of the 6th instant, state,
that three Spanish vessels lately captured by some
elixir cruisers, have been retaken. and sent into St.
Ntafoes, by some of the enemy's privateers.
Dispatches were received yesterday from our fleet
off Ferrol, dated Sunday week. The enemy ap-
; ..,ared to be making in all the Spanish ports great
pivi..rations to get their ships ready for sea. Five
i '1;1 of the line have been dispatched from our
r; tifi Brest to strengthen our force off the coast
4ain. We have five sail of the line off Ferrol ;
::ve sail of the line off Cape St. Mary's ; and, in
the whole, we have twenty sail of the line on the
Spanish coast. Off Brest our force amounts to
:wenty-one sail of the line.
General LAURISTON, who commanded the troops
rn board the Toulon Fleet, is the same person wbo.
fronght over the Ratifizarion of Peace, in 1801
On Saturday last the Corporation of Abingdon
Vt erinsously elected CH A ILLS Burrow, Esq. Bar-
Letr at Law. to be Recorder of that Borough, on
the resignation of Sir ROBERT Boa-rots.
We hear with pleasure, that a subscription has,
these few days, been opened at Ltovo's,
fir the purpose of bringing up and putting out to
.crvice the numerous orphans now at Gibraltar,
whose parents were carried off by the dreldful fever
rhich lately raged there.
Captain J. P. 13111/SPORD has been appointed to
the command of the Canaria", of 44 guns, and
Captain Cott ism to the Leander, of 50, on the
American station, in the room of Captains BC AD Li v
and SKEIN', removed from those vessels on account
of their pressing seamen from American ships off
'slew York. while they were blockading the two
French frigates in that port.
A Court-Martial, composed of one Captain, two
!..eittenants, and two Ensigns, of the Windsor
V,.lunteers, was held on Thursday last, on John
Hones, a Drummer belonging to that Corps, for
t nn, having lately entered into the marines.—
Lvidence being produced of h;s having been regu-
Irrly attested a Member of the Windsor Corp. and
of his receiving constant pay. he was found 6110.11,
end was punished accordingly, yesterday moraiag.

PARISIAN FASHIONS.

The turbans are made round babind, but in front they are
elevated, and present the point of a diadem. Velvet turbans
are more in fashion than in any preceding year. They are
almost uniformly of bright colours, seldom of black velvet.
Next to rose, which still maintains its ground, the most preva-
lent colour in caps and hats isoi bite. Very large bunches of
velvet ribbon:, cut it; points more or less rounded, are di+
played, ir.stead of flowers, in the front of most of the dress
hats. Flowers are worn in bunches, without any mixture of
leaves, and are of the most delicate colouri Feathers are very
few, considering the season, and aigrettes are particularly rare
There are no cloth riding coats that a,. not trimmed with black
velvet. The little cambrick boniiets are trimmed with tulle
instead of lace. The most elegant woman in Paris requires only
the simplest articles to be well dressed. No ornaments in the
style of luxury and wealth are requisite. To be complete, she
wants almost nothing. The Parisian Ekgaete, like the young
country maiden, to dress herself, wants only a little fern round
her rube, a little fern round h. r cestus, a little fern round her
head It is true, that the fern of the Parisian shepherdess ought
to be of gold, and if it meets here and there a few diamonds,
these are accidents which do not spoil it.
It is merely to vary their costume that several Elegawtes,
Instead of collars with profane medallions, wear a string of
beads round the neck, and diamond crosses. The larger the
heads and the longer the cross, the more elegant is the petite
...waist. The locks of Caracelle, arid the plaited hair of Tit's",
whicti used to adorn the head of a young Parisiaa Deviate,
have been succeeded In the hair in a bunch on the top of the
head, like that of a Chinese Mandarin.

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