The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1822-12-25 00:00:00

THROWING A CRICKET-BALL

A match was made some time ego, for owe bemired guineas
• aids, between Lord Kenambpssed Captain Horsley. which
was agreed upon to be decided-Were Christsma-Day ; the
latter gentleman undertaking bled a moo whosbeeld throw
a cricket ball the distance or eon Modred yards forwards ;
and in order that no advantage *meld be derived from the
wind, he should throw the ball balk again the mese distance.
Hyde Park was the place used upon, and last sasiroisitt
Noble Lord and his sporting adversary met, when Om
produced a fine athletic countrymes, to all s e, who
attempted the undertaking with the disadvantage of an unfa-
vourable morning, and failing in it. hia not getting beyond 98
yards in his best throw, consequently the tenant Captain lost
kis money.

ALARMING FIRE.

es --weew--
Tbe rbood of Wapping was thrown into consider-
able
Moder highs, about six o'clock. by a ire
on tie ealessire premises of Mr. Dent, ship.
ilerreilege4Areet, which at first threatened great till.heu
It Weis out to the warehouse, but by whist
itlemset be ascertained. It soon spread to asp:seta, of
Wines, which took Ire, and burnt with great rapidity. The
*1'6.64 and exertion of the neighbours, who soon threw
the whole °Rise property into the street, saved the eremites
Rom being burnt to the ground by the raging element : WI
Minutes more and it would have gone beyond their power.
The Aligate parish engine, as well as the enginesof the le.
pima, Royal Exchange, and Pb .nix Fire-offices soon er.
rived, but we are happy to say their aid was divensed with.
and that the injury was confined to the property only.. Mr.
Mills, a publican, to thp same street, untamed a severesujory
in the head, 0 Wing over one of the burning bundles of
oakum.

PARIS, DEC. 18.

The weather has been dreadful in Paris fur the last
week—alternate frost and thaw, with a damp air at
times, penetrating every pore. The number of inva-
lids is unprecedented. - One physician here has thirty
patients, from inflammations of the face, produced by
sudden change of atmosphere. It is an old saying,
that Providence is kind by turns to all. It is now
verified—no less than eighty-five English physicians,
surgeons, and apothecaries are in Paris : if there were
no complaints, how could these gentlemen enjoy their
Gallic luxuries?

The rage for building has at length seized the Pa-
risians; every old house with a garden is eagerly pur-
chased by speculators ; the houses are taken down,
and new houses and shops are built upon the whole of
the ground. Lafitte is one of the most enterprising
in this way. If the speculation goes on, we shall
soon be as much in want of pure air here as the inha-
bitants of St. Giles's. Whilst upon the subject, I
must notice the existence of an infamous society,
called the " Bon Noir " the members of which are
all large capitalists. When any property is offered
for public sale, these fellows ascertain its real value,
and inquire who is anxious to purchase. When they
find this party, they send their agent to him, and
threaten to run up the property to its extreme
value, if he does not pay them a large pre-
mium to prevent it. There are few persons
foolish enough to refuse the "Bon," for the society
prefer even making a bad bargain now and then, to a
relaxation of their terms; and therefore almost all
whom they apply to readily accede to them. From
property and houses for the living, to receptacles for
the dead, is no great transition—it is only from life
to death.

Now then for another society, called a "Philan-
thropic Administration for respectable but cheap In-
terment." The profits of this society for burying dead
people (and living too, sometimes, or I mistake),
cheap, are-0 per cent.; and how produced? I'll
tell you. By she law of France, no corpse can be
interred -until after twenty-four hours have elapsed
from the time of decease. Custom, however, has
managed to change the intention of the law and its
effect. Bodies must be buried within twenty-four
hours, and the Police interfere, is the very teeth of
the law, to prevent their being kept longer. If this
cheap burial society have to send their hearse or cart
for a body, in a quarter of the town where three or
four more are dead, whose breath has not left them
twenty-four or perhaps tour hours, they take them all
in their way, killing several birds with one stone.
The Authorities have no interest to prevent this abo-
minable traffic, perhaps the contrary, and the friends
of the deceased comply, as the only meant of pro-
, riding cheapburial.