The National Register.
London, England, 1812-01-26 00:00:00

MISCELLANIES.

A Court of Common Council was held on Wednesday, at Guildhall.
—A petition to the House of Commons was agreed on, to enable the
City to build a new prison near Whitecross-street, exclusively for the
confinement of debtors.—Another petition was also agreed to, for a
Bill to empower the City to provide from out of the Orphans' Fund fur
the repairing, lighting, and paving of Blackfriars Bridge, in lieu of a
Sunday Ton.—On the motion of Mr. Alderman Wood, it was referred
to the Committee of General Purposes, to enquire into the present
state of the night watches and patroles of the City, and to consider
whether any and what measures arc necessary to be adopted to improve
the SA e.
A special Commission was opened at the Sessions House, Horseman-
ger-latte, on Monday, for the trial of the twelve British seamen and
marines, found in the service of the enemy on the capture of the Isle
of France. The Lord Chief Baron, in an eloquent address to the
Grand Jury, exlrlained the law as it bore on the prisoners ; after which
they retired, and in about three hours returned with true Bills against
the whole of the twelve. The Court then adjourned to Monday, the
Sd of February,
An addition to the Navy of 10 sail of the line is to take place with-
out delay; for which purpose the following ships are to be laid down
in the several dock-yards of Portsmouth, Chatham, Woolwich, and
Deptford; viz. Brittannia and Prince Regent, 110 guns each ; London
and Princess Charlotte, 98 guns each; Agincourt, Hercules, Russell,
Boscawen, Hawke, and Hero, 74 guns each.
The persons lately put on shore on the Continent by the British Go-
vernment (for doing which we are so much abused by Buonaparte),
are now said to have been 400 French conscripts, deserters from their
armies in Spain, who not being permitted to enter the British service,
were, at their own particular and urgent request, set on shore on the
coast of Holland.
The traitorous correspondence of General Simon and Surgeon Boi-
son was first discovered by a Gentleman belonging to the Transport
Office. They had laid a plan with the French Government for the
landing of a considerable number of troops on the coast of Cornwall,
and General Simon undertook to arrange with the prisoners here to
join them. In consequence of the discovery of this plot, a number of
Frenchmen who col responded with Simon were apprehended and
lodged in Tothill-fields Bridewell, and have since been removed from
thence to a prison ship at Chatham.

The petty Officers and crew of the Argo, now at Portsmouth, have
proposed to subscribe two day's pay each, to the relief of the widows
and ()That's of the men lost in the St. George, Hero Defence, &c.and express their 'yes, that their example will be followed by the
other crews at Spithead. Their conduct has received the approbation
of the Captain and Officers of the Argo.
Ile following trials are expected to come on, In the present Term,
in Dublin :—Lord Fingal', on an ex officio information, by the Attor-
ney-General ; Honourable Thomas Barnwell, on a similar information ;
Joseph, Patrick, and Richard tlarnwall, on information for assisting at
the (Meath Meeting ; Henry Taaffe, Thomas Kirwan, Gregory Scut--
log, John 1.. I:urke, and John Breen, for a misdemeanor. in assisting
at a Meeting, with the object of electing Delegates. Against P. W.
Harvey, proprietor of the Freeman's Journal, au attachment is issued
on the charge of attempting to influence the minds of the Jury on the
trial of Dr. Sheridan. Thomas Townsend, proprietor of the Corres-
pondent, is to be tried upon an es-qfisio information for the alleged
offence of publishi,:g the speeches and resolutions of the Catholic
Committee. Attachments are issued against John Magre, proprietor
of the _Evening Post: David Scott, Washington Greville, and Mi-
chael Goodwin, proprietors of the Evening Herald ; and Robert Cos
folly, proprietor of the Weekly Messenger, for charging the Lord
Cider Justice with partiality. Against the Lord Chief Justice there
are five actions pending at the suit of Catholics ; and Mr. Hare has
been served with three notices of action,
.for his arrest of Lord° Fin-
and Nettervile.