The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-11-25 00:00:00

FAST LYDIA INTELLIGENCE.

Inm A PAPER OF SIONDAV, JUNE 15, 1818.
[Frain the Corerareent Curette Extraordinary]
CCNERAL ORDERS. By THE HONOURABLE THE
vice-nu:sun:lt IN COUNCIL.
Fort William, Jour 12, 1818.
10 continuation of the Cr ocral Melees of the Honourable
the Vice-Pre-Went in Cos... ell, routained in the Gorereonent
CareVe Extraordinary of the 9th instant, ennouncing the
Storm of the f«rioB.:4l city of Citandx, by the force under the
commend of lieistenynt•Cohniel Adams, C 11, the Vice.
I'rrsiaont in Coined is pleas. to direct, that re copy of a
dispatch tram the Resident at .Nagpurr. transmitting
Colonel A.lanis's detailed report of that brilliant nelliClle-
mrnt, be !nihilistic" fur general information.
To RICHARD JENKINS, Esq. Resident at Nagpore.
811 t—My dispatch to poor address of the 20th instant will
Aare acquainted you, that the strongly fortified city of
Cbantla was carried by assault that mottling; and I have
now the honour to state, for your information, the details
which led to this glorious result.
Dodo; the night of the 17th instant, a battery for four 12.
pounders. a small one for two howitirs,, and a sunken one
far six.potvidtrs, were finished, and firltned on the morning
of the 18th instant, the former at site distance of about 400
yards (rain the wall ; and I perceived with high satisfacli 1111 l
wit vision. then' at sun.risr, the vivacity and excellent effect
a ills *hi. It they played against the place.
The 1./v..lWe materials being wetly, the brenchiug battery
for Amy 18 pounders was meek, tl out at a distance of about
250 yard., and erected during the ensitiog night; at this
lone I also invested the west and smolt hays, a ith the Bah
cavalry, a sipsadron Bth Native cavalry, and Capt. Pedlar's
leftward borer, in detached upt•diotts and parties, at ram-
eessirot distances.
A brrtrle was effeetril at Ave &clod( its the afternoon of
the 19th lust ,sit ; but the isninatuu exieut of Manila, and the
usoirsorrs of Major ClorMeaus, that be should hr able Jur-
hoe the night it, preveut the enemy front throwing up any
wenk,instile, induced me to d, fir the attack till the follow
log 1111 l ruing, with the view th it 1 might have the whole day
before me,
The result will as already reported in my letter of the 20116
instant, ta your address ; and I have herewith th, I
of transmitting a copy of Division Orders, a hick I deemed
N proper to issue on the occasion.
I bare likewise the honour to enclose a return of ord.
*mica taken, as also of the killed and wounded; and it is
with deep regret I report the death of Mr. Assistant-Surgeon
Deena, on the 19th instant, fruibJettigue, and of that of
filajor Derelnion, eiti the eveningir this 20th instant, front
a.vere exertion and exposure to the beat.
1 have, See.
(Signed) J. W. ADAMS, 11.ireet,Eolonel,
Com: N.S. Force.
Ilead.qaarters N.S. Force, Camp, Chanda, May 22,1818.
l'S I lirg leave to add, that the number of the killed and
wound, dof the enemy may let between four and five him.
aced altogether ,• and that the killader litotes I). en, and a
Coug Choi called /toy arse ansonvit tlsr tuna. r.
(Sigurd) J. W. A.

Copy of Division Orden unet J W. Adams, C.D.
coning:lndia ; 210818.
With %CO i intent Lion(-Colonel
Adams again Walton to the
he has si the sic.
moult which ern* brilliant
E.f.anit yesterday moroing, ed city sit
eliada, alien an ancient and . bstinately
to s ni 44444•1i0ns and deters inn, with heavy
io unity, MA. ca.rit.l .11 a style i.f a and excellence.
OA flit." by any thing he has ever tied.
lu tie .I.ie eolleale of the preparations which led to this
apleioli I •iiiretaa, the Commanding. Officer has much pleasure
in reciodi:-a the eminent sirvaces of Lieut. Anderson, Field
Engine. r. Madras Estalifishintsit, assisted by Lirut. Craw.
ford, Aelillg Enid Engineer to the N. S. Force, shuse ac.
f orate sad frequent ri • as mice. determined the point sof
attack foe roe at-viral b Merin, and thsp:ayed a professional
Isquirleidre so highly creditable to both these officers.
The Lib•odou., constant, and 2111114 We earn s of the
pinneeni of both establishments, under Ideals. Brunt' mid
tell, have alts onuualyupheld the high regulation of 11w
tiognishii) pa to ali.cli they belong, and fully acquired
the Cominanilinz Itllicrraappruhatiun and applause; and
he sis.cerelv 'tints the %sound received by Lieut. Fell in the
vurni yt.tectlay morning, and slide nobly ',hulling the Bri-
t .its ..tacist.irit uo Itir lue.uh, sill not lung ilvesive the force
Or lilt w. reici.a of this brave and excellent unites'.
Tu Maj K 4.aehatr, entlaul.iiiilitig the whole “r the Art
1.4 v. under whu.e masterly and aileilitfic direction the tin, •
10)'s finua vrere continually sites ed, Cie defences Liken on;
6...111.,. breach effected, which led to an a result,.
and • hn-r and. sit and a dell exertion.. et t as,
ex•imp!e to all ,:•notsuutl,

TH E BRII.I. S FL PRE S S.

LONDON,

WEDNESDAY, Novssma 25, 18111.

We learn with much pleasure th•tt a circular
letter has been forwarded from Lnrd Stcostount's
Office to the High Sheriff., Moyors, and other
Chief Officers throughout the kingdom, requiring
Returns to be made in the first week of January
'teat, containing " An account of all the Gaols,
Houses of Correction, or Penitentiaries, in the
United Kingdom; specifying the 'mintier of per-
sons committed to each, and the greatest num-
ber of prisoners confined in each, at any pet sod
of the year 1818; distinguishing tried from un-
tried, enables from females, those under the age
of seventeen from those above it ; also under
what jurisdiction and superintendence each risen'
is pieced, what number of prisoners roe+ is cal-
culated to contain, into what number of separate
deuce or departments it is divided, and how
far the number of those divisions can, without

great inconvenience or expense, he increased ; also
an account of all allowances of food, money, or
clothing made to prisoners ; of the value of labour
dime, and the application thereof ; mud generally of
subsisting regulations for the discipline and
of each prisms, and in what instances
tl tions have been deviated trout in the
course of th ar 1818, :mil what has beret the oc-
casion of sucialsriution, and under what authority
it has been alto • all such prisons respectively."
This regnisiti from toe Noble Secretary's
Illiu
Office originates, we sincerely hope, in a desire to
ameliorate the iiittriial economy of the gaols and
houses of correction throughout the kingdom, aid
to remove in some degree the dark stigma that the
present state of the greater part of them is edict'.
latvd to throw upon our national character. It
has been tae cusioin of acme little tuneds in
this couiltry, envious of merit they tali 'lover emu-
late, to cast a pitiful sneer at the exertions of the
benevolent and wise, who have generously d..voted
tiitais:ives to the improvement or our prison sys.

tent. Such minds are as incapable of understand-
ing the motives to a disinterested good action, us
they are of appreciating the reward l.•lt arises to a
generous mind fspin the proud feeling of conscious
merit. They dwell confusedly upon one isolated
point, the advaistage of connecting misery with►
vice, and adhering to this with the firmness
of superstition, or the obstinacy of ignorance,
they must necessarily exclude every more ex-
tended idea of the effects which must result to
society from the dissemination of vice, and the
strengthening of vicious habits. From some such con-
tracted understanding must have arisen the sapient
question, " IVhether these philanthropic Gentle-
men intended to cover the floors of Newgate with
Turkey carpets?" The person who was silly enough
to !lazuli such • remark ought to have known
that there is a wide difference between Turkey car-
pets and damp flags, and between a well-sired room
of sufficient capacity, and one where the miserable
inmates are compelled, according to Mr. Burro WS
statement, by the want of space to " lie edgeways..
The great object, however, of those who would re-
form the internal state of the prisons is rather
to ensure au attention to the morals, instruction,
and profitable employment of the prisoners, than
to ensure them luxuries unsuited to their situation.
With respect to the propriety of affording comforts
to the In ',toners, %se shall inertly observe, that
however ab.urd it might appear to some ',emus
to exclude misery and want from a prison, it can-
not he denied that some difference ought to be
drawn in regard to treatment between persons con-
victed of crimes, and those who have been com-
mitted there oat for punishment but for bare
ru-tody. Wliv, fur instance, ►hould the hardened
pickpocket, or the almeirloued prostitute, be treated
on a perlict equality with an individual confined
for wood of bail, or MI 1111.1043011 of having coin-
mated perhaps a venial offetice ? Minty cases of
ins less glaring injustice will readily nectar to the
mind of every one conversant with evert the ordi-
nary occurresices of life, sod as they occur, it can-
not fail of being conceded that where the law draws
the utmost distinction between dilieretit classes of
toenails committed to confinement, as wide is dd.-
ference should be established in their mode of
treatment.

The consideration of our prison discipline will
not improbably involve in a considerable degree the
revision of some parts of our penal code. Its the
result of this revision, our character not only 'for
humanity, but even for policy mid common sense,
is deeply implicated. To undertake a complete
survey of the imperfections, absurdities, and iticon-
gruitiee of our criminal law, would perhaps deter
the most patient and diligent of our Legislators,
and if likely to be attended with considerable alte-
rations, would perhaps frighten many a worthy
but timid gentleman, who, hosing often pleased
his fancy with what has been frequently called the
si admirable fabric of the English law," might fancy
that to touch one stone of the edifice would bring
the whole Concitution tumbling about his ears.
With such persons it would be impossible to argue,
and the►efore it would be vain to inform them that
the penal code has no .essential or i iiiiii etliate con-
nexion with these admirable laws ulmn which
our political system has long been establish-
ed. The greater part, however, of those laws,
whose sanguinary• character disgraces our statute-
book, are c partitively of minim) (fate; so that in
attacking their existence, no other reform would he
contemplated than one having fur its object the
removal of dangerous innovations.
There is, however, one branch of this code which
seems, more thou any other, to demand tha instant
and impartial attention of the Legislature. %V
allude to the laws reluting to the prevention of
forgeries. It is a melancholy fact, that the crime
of forgery increases almost iii proportion to the
increased severity or the laws enacted to control it,
and that mire lives have been sacrificed in conse-
quence r fit, within the last 10 or 15 years, than fur
all the other crimes noticed in the statute-book.

It is but too manifest througnout the country,
that the facility of iistiviting the notes of the Llaisk
of England has given on impulse to the criminal
ingenuity of a numerous class of persons, and not
eves, the PM g ttttt &fry violence with whirl' the sta-
tutes have been enforced clan counteract the dan-
gerous iiiducetnent to guilt ullit.ll the Batik of
Eitgland times present. It is time, therefore, to
iiitioduce a change iu the system, either by causing
the Directors of the B of Eligland to issue a
mite more difficult of imitation, which we are
usetirefl by many excellent artists can very
easily be done, or by altering the stature of the
punielmient coneegtient tin forgery. Our iirisoti
diecipline is so extremely defective, list we can
scarcely recommend imprisonment mid herd labour
us the puilishinent lir this offence. But, sit the
seine 'nor, should the exertions of those excellent
individuals who have iirovidentially turned their at-
tention to the subject, aided by the wiling, co-ope-
ration of the Home I)ep.irtinent, operate benefi-
cially, we conceive that tio means more effective
for preventilig the commission of the crime, for
spewing a compensation to society fir the injury
inflicted, Hod at the same time improving the moral
and srecial finalities of the unhappy offender, can i,e
devised than close imprisonment with severe la-
bour, accompanied at the same time with such in-
struction a., instead of rutting Mat off its the
prime of life, or flinging him hack upon his old

haunts, tinder th‘t necessity and with the increased
inclination of pursuing his old babitsonight restore
him to the rank he had lost, and snake him • va.
Inutile member of society.

We live received East India Papery, including
Calcutta Gazettes of the 6th of Wiy. They do
not announce any military operations of which we
were not already itifurined.

We have received Paris Papers of Saturday the
21st. Following the example of the Meniteur
of the preceding day, the other Papers venture
to publish extracts from itglish Papers, relit-
lug tu the dispatches lii gist by CUpt. BRINE.
from St. Helena. 'l' , of course, particular
in concluding their ice of this subject by au as-
surance, in italics, that BONAPARTF: IS OM confined
at St. fickle', and will remain there. It is wider-
stood, from private amanitas, that the mystery af-
fected by the English Callinet, and the anxiety ma-
nifested in the Treasury Plinio of this City, to re-
present the conspiracy for NAPOLEON'S escape as
very 'crimes, complicated and extended, has excited
a belief iii Paris that there is some important poli-
tical object in view, of which BuNApsterc's name
is only made the pretext. An attempt is made to
connect it with it pretended conspiracy, the object
of which was to seize the person of the Emperor
A trx.tr:DEß, by Guo smugglers, MI his journey
front Aix-la-Chapelle to Brussels, and, carrying
hini into a wood, compel him to sign instruments
enabling all the diplomatic acts of the few last
years altogether nugatory. But the absurdity of
such a plan is so &ming, that we notice it only fur
the purpose of exposing it to ridicule.
The Paris Papers have fur several days been
assuring their readers that Hotting could be more
exemplary than the generous devotedness and re-
ipectful sill •s' of the young muses who, in pur-
suance of the law for recruiting the army, have
been assembled in various ',laces to await the ballot.
It is, however, briefly noticed iii the Journal:: of
Saturday, that " of the various young men who
Lod been hitherto brought before the Tribnital of
Correctional Police for having, during the ballot
at the Hotel de Ville, displayed hi-coloured
only one has been punished." This fel-
low, it appears, was more guilty than the others,
for they wore the ribbends simply drawn round
their hats, while he more presumptuously bud hit
661,31111 s folioed into a cockade ! This incident
cannel be passed over without notice. It proves
the existence a spirit hostile to the exist-
wog Government, which not even the violence
of the laws can prevent from expressing itself,
openly. The distinction drawn between the wear-
ing of nbbands and a cockade arose evidently from
the embarastnient of the Court, which could nut
inflict punishment on the many persons brought an-
tler its jurisdiction.
The Five per Cents. were, on Friday, at 69 fr.
50 c. Bank Stock, 1,5.55 fr.

Yeqerilly morning the Duke of YORK had a
long interview with thr PRINCE REGENT at Carl-
ton-house. In the evening the PRINCE REGENT
went In Cambridge-house. Kew-green, to !my a
%isit of conanlenee to the PRINCESSES.

it is 8111,pm:ell the Royal Dukes would receive.
in the course of last Saturday. the melancholy
tidings of the demise of their beloved Mother.
On Thursday night, Mr. Ni 11.141. the King's
Nlrssenger, was sent off from Downing-street with
dispatches to Brussels.
Saturday evening Mr. ILITTLEWOOD, the King's
Messenger, left town with dispatches for Aix-la-
Chapelle.

A Paris Paper, alluding to the discovery of an
unknown nation by our expedition to the North
Pole, has the following observations:—" This first
observation is iirolsalily inexact. The Greenlanders
being. of the Esquimau* race, inhabiting north of
Hutkott'a Hay, it • ill, probably, torn out, that this
Arctic tithe is of the same race. The Greenlanders,
subject to Drumm k, hate always spoken of a horde
inhabiting more to the north than themselves."
Private letters from Amsterdam represent the
monied market of that city to be in a state of singu-
lar and embarrassment. On Thursday
last, so great it fall took place that several of the
jobbers became unable to fulfil their obligations,
and were declared defaulters: every species of stock
suffered, but the foreign securities appear to have
declined in a greater proportion than soy others.—
Pi lassiais are. /looted, in Thursday's list, at 71,
and Austria,' stock was as low a 5.54. having under-
gone the extraordinary depression of 16 per cent. in
ti, course of a few days.
A project is in agitation to commence a line of
canal front 11itiliiono Cornwall, which, iii its pro.
grow me o mmunication by water, between
Bristol
is mi
the Chat , Exeter, and Plymouth.

By advice. from Demerara we learn, that the
slase, commonly called Captain Frank, who caused
the oirgritrs on the Beehive EstAtr, belonging to E.
VAN BANLE, r,y, to revolt in March last, and who
commanded them while they cmatinsted tit a sLie
of imtiburdissation, was executed on the 6th ult,
dressed in all the paraphernalia of obeism, opposite
to said estate, and his bend was severed from his
hotly, and placed on a pole on the spot where he
was executed. The isegrues whom he haul misled,
but who afterwards returned to their duty, and were
therefore pardoned. as well as the others belonging
to the estate, were present at the awful crrettim.y.
Captain F.'s wife has received 300 lashes, and been
sentenced to work the remainder of her hie in chains,
in consequence of having most inhumanly murdered
two Eitglishmeto who went out for the purpose of
persuading the negroes•to retort) to their usual uc.
cupations.