The National Register.
London, England, 1817-05-12 00:00:00

IMF. NATIONAL REGISTIII.

walk t'ooo miles in 42 days, f. 100 guineas a side.—
The ground measured from the marquees is 2:ht
out, and the same back, being one quarter of a mile ;
they walk parallel to each other, at a distance of 'lO
yards. They are to start every morning at three o clock,
and not to walk after eleven at ni„tht. They walked
on Tuesday only two hours, and at six o'clock when they
stopped, they had perthrinel 10 miles each.
Edward Roger Pratt, Esq. (brother-in-law of the
deceased Member) ant Elul Ind Wodehous'•, Esq.
have offered themselves as eandidates to sueeeed the
late Sir Jacob Astley, Bart. in the representatiun of
Norfolk in Parliament.

M. Nlenke, who has been employed in making mo-
dels for the porcelain manuthetory, has discovered, it is
said, the procesa of convertiog manotony saw-dust into
a soft, paste, %Odell becomes hard and solid by exposure
to the atmosphere, and is susceptible of receiving
and preserving the forms given to marble, to wood, or to
bronze. This substance takes the most beautiful gild-
ing as well as the colour of bronze. The pnaluct of
this manufitetory are, candelabras, Instres, lanris, vases,
statues, and ornaments for all kinds of furniture. These
objects rival in elegance the most beentit'ul works in
bronze, and cost only the eighth part of the price.
A serio-comic opera, called L'Agnese, is about to be
produced at the King's Theatre. The subject of the
' drama is taken from Mrs. Opie's pathetic tale of the
Father and Daiezide,-, with this variation, that the story
is male to terminate happily. The music is by Ferdi-
nand Peer, a living composer of some c,Aebrity. lie has
written above thirty Italian operas : his most celebrated
pieces are C,iseldo and Committer.
In the case of the King v. Hatchard on Saturday, in
the King's Bench, the Defendant was sentenced to a
fine of 1001. which he immediately, paid and was dis-
charged. Mr. Hatchard is a most respectable bookseller.
The Deal Society of Fishermen's Friends have al-
ready received 3,0001. from the general loan to be
granted by Government in Exchequer bills.
As a strong symptom of a decrease in the hardness
of the times, we mention, that, on Sunday week, no
less than nineleen banns of marriage were published in
Boston Church. Perhaps so large a number was ne-
ver before published at one rime in this church.
There is now a vacancy in the humble office of bea-
dle to the parish of St. Pancras, and what is remarka-
ble 50 candidates have started for the office. All of
them are shopkeepers and tradesmen, who would have
spurned at the idea of such an office two years ago.
It is at length finally settled, that the monument to
the memory of the late Lord Nelson is to be erected on
the South Downs, Yarmouth, in a situation to serve
as a mark for both Cat-ways.
A low days since Gatie and Fillery, Excise Officers,
detected at Hammersmith a very considerable fraud in
an entered soap-house. There was a copper tinder
ground with frames, and the chimney of the private
copper communicated with the entered copper. The
utensils and three or four tons of way were seized. A
man entering the gates while the Officers were there,
against whom they had a warrant, they took hint pri-
soner and lodged him in gaol.

ROYAL ACADEMV.—Monday, the annual Exhibition
of Works of Art was openetl to the Public at Somer-
set !louse. The present exhibition (which is the 49th
of the Academy), consists of 867 Pictures, 139 Archi-
tectural Drawings, and 71 Sculptural Works and
Models.

Benefit Socidies.—Thorstlay last, a case came to
he heard betbre the Magistrates of Maidstone, of which
the following are the circumstances : The Benefit So-
ciety of Paper-makers summoned one of their members
to compel him to pay up his arrears of subscription. The
defence set up by the defaulter was, that the society
had power by their articles to exclude him from the so-
ciety, on his having neglected pay his subscription a
certain number of nights, but could not compel him to pay
up the arrears cficient at the time otitis exclusion. The Ma-
gistrates decided that every member is bound to pay up
the arrears of subscription and fines as settled by the
articles up to the time of their leaving the society. The
same decision has recently been given in several similar
cases by London Magistrates, and the law on the point
cannot be too generally known, as persons frequently
take that method of leaving a Benefit Society, thinking
themselves nut liable to be called on for their arrears.

Ft Re.—Friday morning. about half past four o'clock, a dreadful
fire burst forth from the Premises of Mr. Berstall, tiuther.nicrchant,
Bank:Ude. Southwark. The materials in the yard, consisting of deals
and hattens, were in a few minutes envelop.. in flumes, as well as the
whole of the buildings and machinery the vicinity of the South
London Gar-light Works, from their employing a great number of
men all night, ointriboted greatly to the prevention of the firther e‘.
tension of the itaai:s. It being low water, the engines could nut be
supplied f nin the T:laines ; and were therefore reduced to the ne-
ctionty • f all the wells they could obtain 34. T ,FS to in the vicinity.
which were soon nearly vxliait,ted. A tank of lime-water on the gas.-
' light premises was soon emptied into the engines, and found ex-
treimly serviceable to extinguishing, as if by magic. an immense
body of fire arisin4 from a pile 1/f timber. By nine o'clock in the
morninp the lire was complet••ly got under : but the premises where
it broke out, and the Vilhatit, stack of timber they amtained, were
eninphetely destroyed. Some very expensive and ingenious machinery
or at wing deals by means of a again-tmoine were totally destroyed.