The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1803-07-04 00:00:00

Private accounts fiom Hanover give a most me-
lancholy picture of the state of that Eletiorate.
The conduct of the French troops exceeds all their
former atrocities. The towns are given up to pH-
lage, and the females have been, without distinc-
tion, brutally violated' by General Mori ER'S horde
of infamous marauders. Heavens ! what would
be the state of England in the occupation of a
French army ! ! The Briton would be without a
heart, or a head, who could calculate upon surviv-
ing the horrible catastrophe.

The rumour is revived of Earl Mont t'c appoint-
ment to the Vice-regency of Ireland, in the event
of Earl HA anwier:E'S immediate resignation. Mr.
Cu aR v, the Chancellor of the Irish Exchequer, it is
said, wil shortly resign, upon fun compensation.—
The office will then be abolished, and its functions
will be in fature performed by the Secretary of the
Lord Lieutenant.

The funds continue to droop. We believe the in.
creasing gloom produced by the certainty of war,
is the only cause of their depression.

There will be a Levee at St. James's on Wednes-
day the 6th, and a Drawing-room on Thursday the
7th inst.
A Messenger, we understand, • arrived yesterday
morning from Harwich, with an account of the ar-
rest of a French Spy taken upon the coast, in the
a& of surveying it. Plans of all the principal land-
ing places of the North-eastern coast, it ft said,
were found in his possession. The prisoner was
crrried to the camp near Colchester.
Letters were received on Saturday from Admi-
ral Tiloaseoaovoir's Squadron, dated on Thurs-
day, at which time be was beating off the Dutch
Coast, being unable to gain his station off the Elbe.
'1 he Warwickshire Militia, quartered at Green-
wich had a grand field day on Saturday last, in
Greenwich park ; they mustered 600, and the whole
corps, which is a very fine one, went through their
evolutions to the perfect satisfaction of all the offi-
cers present.
All the Clerks, Officers, and persons employed
in the Stamp• and other Public Offices will be mus-
tered this day, to take up arms, as volunteers, in
defence of thea- country.
Yesterday morning at ten o'clock, when the
Guards were going to be relieved at St. Japies's ;
several Police Officers, aided by a very for ridable
Press Gang, blockaded all the avenues leading to
and from the Palace, and impressed every person of
suspicious appearance who came in their way, part
of whom they lodged in St. James's watch-house,
and the rest they conveyed to St. Martin's watch-
house, where a considerable mob was stationed all
day, who ippeareil to be very turbulent.
The two regiments of Royal Tower Hamlets
Militia were inspected on Saturday, on their respec-
tive parades, by Major-General Laser e, previous
to their taking the duty of the Wet-Docks, in the
room of the Guards.
There are now six gun-boats 'building at Paris.
They are to carry 36 and 24-pounders. Several
more will be begun, as soon as the carpenters ex-
peeled from Ferte-sous-Joccame, St. Dizier, and
other places, shall have arrived.
According to a private letter from Paris " most of
the English, who had permission to reside there,
received on the '23d, orders to join their countrymen
at .Fontainhleau, in twenty-four hours.
Lady GRENVILLE is expelled in town from Bath
on Thursday next.
On Saturday a Court of Common Council was
held at Guildhall, to receive a Report from the
Militia Committee, relative to the best mode of
raising the City of London quota of men for the
Army of Reserve, which was read, and referred
back to the Committee to carry into execution their
said Report ; viz. for the City Remembrancer to
prepare (assisted by Mr. Comptroller, and the offi-
ciating solicitor) a draft of a Bill similar to the City
Militia Ad, in the proportions of men to be raised
by each Ward within this City, and the rates for
defraying the expences of raising the said men,
should extend to inmates and lodgers.
The Loup May oit laid before the Court a Letter
from Major Cooesort, requesting the Corporation's
acceptance of a large antique red granite Bowl from
Egypt, which the Court accepted, and voted him
their thanks, to be transmitted to him by the LORD
MAYOR. The same bowl is to be placed in the
Egyptian Hall at the Mansion-House, under the
direction of the Right Hon. the Lou) Ma.coa,
and the Committee for General Purposes.
During the thunder storm on Saturday last, a
ball of fire fell upon a public house near Perry's
Stairs, Wapping, which. in an instant, set fire to i:
and the house adjoining. They were both burned
in several places; the wires and bells were all melt-
ed, as also the leads on the roof. Ihe inhabitants
had time encugh to make their escape. The light-
ning sct fire to a carpenter's shop in Gravel-lane,
Southwark. The shavings and other combustibles
were instantly in a blaze, but were happily soon
extinguished by the endeavours of two men who
were at work si hen the accident happened.
On Saturday the workmen employed at the Glass-
house in White-friars, had their annual feast, and
walked in procession through Fleet-Areet, the
Strand, &c. with glass hats on their heads, and car-
rying different articles expressive of their curious
employments.
On Friday Fairlop Fair was, according to an-
cient custom, held under the well-known old Oak
of that name on Henault Forest, two miles from
Chigwell, and three from Ilford, in Essex. The
fineness of the weather drew together an unusual
number of persons of more respedability than usu-
ally attend such fins, and they greatly enjoyed the
cool and enchanting retreat of the surrounding fo-
rest. Two boats, placed upon wheels, filled with
company, and drawn in procession by six horses
each, according to the custom, passed three times
round the Oak Tree. The acclamations of the spec-
tators were unfortunately interrupted by the fall of
a man out of one of the boats, Lad we are sorry to
add, that before the horses could be stopped, the
wheels passed over his body, and • he was killed on
the spot.. The'. are no .bouses within near two
miles of the plate, bet the numerous booths erected
for the oceasicn, furnished all the usual refresh-
-4°ns and amtveraents of a countriwake.

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