The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-03-11 00:00:00

PRESERVATION FROM SHIPWRECK.

Yesterday, at one o'clock, a general meeting of the Members of
the Royal National Institution for Preserving the Lives of Persons
from Shipwrecks was held at the City of London Tavern' the Right
Rev. the. Lord Bishop of Bath and Wells in the chair. We regret
that but few gentlemen attended, we presume in consequence of the
extreme haziness of the weather.

......_ ______.
The Report of the Committee was read, detailing the several
points at which life-boats were stationed, and the general benefit
derived from the use and application of Capt. Manby's improved
apparatus. It appeared that a number of lives had been saved
during the last year, and several new stations were pointed out
where boats could be advantageously placed. For this purpose an
additional number of boats with Captain Alanby's apparatus are
in coarse of preparation. The Report detailed the various sums
expended during the last year. It appeared that about 600/. re'.
mauled in the banker's hands out of the receipts, which amounted
to upwards of 9,600/.
The amount of the prospective expenditure for boats with Capt.
Manby's apparatus, was stated to be about 3,7001.
The Report having been approved of,
The CHAIn MAN expressed himself highly satisfied with the im-
proving condition of so benevolent an Institution.
Mr. WiLsow entered into a high eulogium of Captain Manby's
apparatus, which he considered very superior to boats. The In-
stitution was particularly bound to support Captain Manby's plan,
not only on account of its intrinsic merit, but the inventor's noble
disinterestedness. Persons supplying boats reaped benefit from
their employ, but Captain Manby derived none from the use of his
apparatus. Indeed it was well known that persona had made
money by imitations of his plan. In conclusion, the Hon. Gentle-
man proposed a vote of thanks to the gallant Captain for the great
benefits conferred on this country by his excellent apparatus for
the preservation of the lives of our seamen from shipwreck and
danger.
The vote was seconded and carried, to be presented in a "Rule
Britannia" of the Institution.

Mr. STer NETT, en artist said, that however highly he thought
of Captain Illanby's apparatus, yet he had himself invented a
plan which would supply the defect of the Captain's. It was well
known that the line of assistance was by a shot over the vessel in
Captain Mantel's plan, and the persons in distress had to scramble
ashore on one rope, which was imminently hazardous, especially
with a heavy sea. Tar improvement he suggested was by the
adoption of two ropes, on which a traverse could run to the shore.
The people could be secured on this traversing rope, which those
on board could force ashore or haul on board at pleasure, without
the assistance of those on shore. The Gentleman said that he was
riady to submit • model to the Committee. He exhibited the
rougil dratufht of a vessel on the rocks on a lee-shore, with his
ropes affixed, but did not explain how be conveyed the ropes to the
shore. . . _ .

rho CHAIRMAN WAS happy to see any plan that could further
the means of preservation to so useful a body of men as our gallant
seamen, and was sure the Committee would pay every attention to
the plan.
Mr. Alderman LUCAS proposed that the Committee should send
ruund a cony of their Report to the soreral Companies interested in
commercial pursuits, to obtain support.
Mr. WrLsolt laid that had been 'already done.

Thanks WEIL thei voted to the Chairman, and the meeting
separatcd.

STOCKHOLM, Faa. 42.—Two English Agents have ar-
rived at Gottenburgh, to purchase iron and Baltic produce,
as is supposed for Colombian account, which has already
caused a rise in the price of these articles.
RENT.—IIy the laws of Ina, King of the West Saxons,
who reigned in the end of the seventh and the beginning
of the eighth century, a farm, consisting of ten hides, or
plough lands, was to pay the following rent :—" Teti
casks of honey, three hundred loaves of bread, twelve casks
of strong ale, thirty casks of small ale, two oxen, ten wed-
dens, ten geese, twenty limn, ten cheeses, one cask of but-
ter, five salmon, twenty pounds of forage, and one hundred
eels." From this low rent, the imperfection of agriculture
tt that time is easily discovered, but is still rnQa...o from
the low prices at which land was then sold. In the ancient
history of the church of Ely, published by Dr. Gale, there
are accounts of many purchases of land by Adelwold, the
founder of that church, and by other benefactors, in the
reign of Edgar the Peaceable, in the tenth century. By a
comparison of these accounts, it appears that the ordinary
price of an acre of the best land in that part of England in
those titre was no more than sixteen Saxon pennies, or
about four shillings of our money—a very trifling price
i even n comparison with that of other commodities at the
same time: for by comparing other accounts it appears,
that four sheep were then equal in value to an acre of the
best land ; and one horse of the same value with three
acres. The frequent and deplorable famines which
afflicted England about this time, are further instances of
the wretched state of agriculture. In 1043 a quarter of '
wheat sold for sixty Saxon pennies (fifteen of our shillings),
and at that time equal iu value to seven or eight pounds of
our money now.

THE BRITISH PRESS.

COURT OF COMMOI► COUNCIL.

Fey:aday a Court of Common Council was held at Guildhall, for
ohe disposal of ordinary busineu.
The Chamberlain laid berme the Court an Account of the Ore.
sham Fund lot the last seven years, which was ordered to be printed
and distributed to the several Members.

HOUSE AND WINDOW TAX.
Mr. FAVELL submitted a Resolution to the Court, declaratory
of its opinion with regard to the reception of the petition to the
House of Commons few the repeal of the House and Window
Taxes._

Alr. P. Dixo,e entirely agreed with the worthy member rpon the
principle of the Resolution, but thought there were some expres-
awns contained therein that might lead to a division, and he was
most anxious that their vote should be unanimous he therefore
suggested that a few members should retire and draw up a Resolu-
' Lion calculated to meet the wishes or all.—Agreed to.
Mr. FAvictr. and Air. JAmts retired for such purpose, and sub-
I minted to the Court a Resolution, which, after some dtaeussion,
was agreed to, and a Deputation appointed to present the same to
the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
The Deputation to wait on the Chancellor of the Exchequer are
Aldermen %Vaithroan and Crowder, Sheriff' Key, and Mesas.
Favell, Slade, Oldham, James, and Dixon.

JOINT STOCK COMPANIES.
Mr. Alderman Wm it NAN called the attention of the Court to
a subject which he thought of the utmost importance, and to con-
sider of which he trusted his Lordship would call a special meeting
on an early day--he meant the Equitable Loan Bank ; to establish
which there was now a Bill before Parliament, and on which Bill
lie understood there were eleven Directors sitting; and that, out of
forty-tive Directors, there were no less than seventeen Members of
Parliament. The worthy Alderman then took a general review of
the na:ure of the intended Company, and expressed his astonish-
ment that such a Bill should have passed the (louse of Commons
last Sessions, bit which was thrown out by the Lords in consequence
of the observations of t►e Lord Chancellor, to whom the country
was Indebted for his opposition to the measure.
The LORD MAYOR observed. lie had originally taken shares in
the Equitable Loan Bank, thinking that the scheme was for the
benefit of the community. He had however given up the shares,
as he did not consider it compatible with the office of Chief Magis-
trate shat he should be a shareholder in a Company of this descrip-
tion. Considering. as he did, the establishment of Trading Com-
panies to be a question of great interest, he could not hesitate to
accede to the request of the worthy Alderman.
His Lordship appointed to-morrow ( this day) for a Special Court
on the subject of the Equitable Loan Bank Bill.