The National Register.
London, England, 1822-11-25 00:00:00

374

ELECTION OF A BRIDGE MASTER.
On Tuesday last a most numerous meeting of the Livery
took place in Guildhall, in consequence of a precept
isoted•lsy ihe Lord Mayor, for the Election of a Bridge-
Master, in the room of Ur. Thodey, deceased.
The Hall being opened by the Town Crier, the Lord
Ittayor and Aldermen proceeded to the Comet of Alder-
men, and the Sheriffs proceeded to the Election.
Mr. FAI'ILLL proposed Mr. Noriou, as a fit and proper
person to pet furni the duties of the situation. The object
of the Livery, in filling the situations of Bridge-Master,
v as to set ve some respectable, but decayed fellow-citizen.
It was a ;min to hiw to appear opposed to the other Can-
didates. who, he understood, were all of them meritorious
it dividuals, and he wished trims his sould that they could
all be supplied under the Corporation ; but as that cosold
nut be.dutie, he only had 1.. select the must eligible, and
Ore to tit person his decided support. He .sear Mr.
Arlon to be a respectable and houotorahle man upwards
of forty years,aud there were, independently ;Mlle former
prosperous, and the present adverse cundition of his life,
claims whirls no doubt had weight with the Livery. He
hail been twice disappointed in W applications, one of
v Melt Lad neatly succeeded when lie yielded to the call
Nlr.Thudry.—(This uousinatton seas tonal watmly te-
ceived.)
Mr.,Bnooes seconded the nomination; in doing which
be stated, that lie hail known Mr. Norton upwards of SU
years, and had the highest respect for his character.
Mr. Cnomosit stated, that lie stood forward to put in
nomination a person well known and greatly esteemed by
his fellow-citizens, Mr. Lew is Lewis.—(Repeated cheers.)
—That houourable individual had once been in circum-
stances which seemed calculated to challenge the freaks
of fortune. but the circunktauces of the times, which had
produced suck general distress' visited him heavily. His
easier would speak more to the hearts of those around him
than langnage.
Mr. °tousle seconded the nomination of Mr. Lewis.
He bad in his early life been in the most datieriug
cumstancee, having been the proprietor of the New Lon-
don Tavern, and to his fostering head many who were
now egjoyiag the sweets of prosperity owed the „likens of
periwigs enjoyment; and fifteen years of Iris -fife die bad
devoted to Use service of that,Corperatioa to which he
now looked for assistauce in the day of calamity. (Great
applaisse.)—Mr. Lewis was now falkn nits decay, but
bad paid every farthing he owed. He must sink under
iliti.furiunes, if the erwitus of turning want into comfoi t,
and bitterness into joy, were nut supplied by those at ouud
hint.

The next two candidates were Mr. Aubrey and Mr.
flintier, two very respectable linen, whose characters
were highly spoken of by the gentlemen who put them hi
nomination.
Mr. Maar alto, another Candidate, then stood forward,
and said he begxed to withdraw his name.
The names having been put up, and the Town Clerk
having called upon the Livery to hold up their hands as
they favoured each Candidate, there appeared an immense
smyority fur Mr. Lew is. Mr. Norton also had a great
slievs t but the Sheriffs immediati ly declared that the
election had fallen upon Mr. Lewis. A pull was then de.
wand. d upon the part of the other Candidates, and com-
menced at half past two o'clock. each Candidate having
called upon his friends to use their utmost exertions.

THE NATIONAL REGIS.
MRLLNCIOLY SMIP WR ECK.
It is our painful deity to record the following detail of
a distressing event which occurred off Dimchorch, Kent,
on Friday morning last (the 18th inst.) About half-
past three o'clock, the wind blowing a IIUITICJIIt front
the S.W. by W., as— Sims, a fisherman, was going
to his nets on that coast, he sward strange voices in the
distance, but from the boisterous state of the weather
could not ascertain from whence they proceeded, mud
day-break, when he p wetted a small sloop in distress,
lying on toe flat sand oft that place, at a very distance
below low water mark, with three 'lemons (two men and
a boy) apparently lashed to the vessel; but from the Ire-
mentious sea which incessantly broke over them, he was
totally unable to render intent any assistance i they were
then also seen by other persona limn the Wall, who en-
deavoured to swim to them, but the waves were so heavy
aad followed each other in such rapid succession. that
they were reluctautly compelled to relinquish their hu-
mane efforts.
By this time the inhabitants of the village, with the
ollicets and men of the Coast Illockade service, hail
assembled out the beach, amid Mr. John Sheriff, au
officer in the above service, immediately procured bottles,
and despatched them to Martell° Tower, No. 23, to
drag one oldie blockade boats along the sand. lit the
interim, a small boat belonging to Sims having beeu
procured, Mr. Sheriff, with two seamen of ilia party,
launched her and made too attempts to react. the
wreck, five' which the sea was breaking with great fury
but at the moment when they had nearly gained their
object, and the bystanders successively indulged the
pleasing hope of the rescue of the distressed mariners,
their boat was each overwhelmed by the *sal, once
by the thowls breaking and the gallant adventurers
narrowly escaped the sad fate which awaited them for
whom they hail risked their own lives.
At this moment the blockade galley, from the No. 23,
Tower,. a distil ace of three quarters of a mile, was brought
to the spot, and Mr. Sheriff, accompanied by Mr. H.
Jell, another officer of the same service, and four of
their•seanien, all of 'bean being nearly naked, in order
to be ready to swim, in case of need, launched her
through a most tremendous surf, after being swamped
several times. Hope was again cherished that Provi.
deuce would have crowned their generous efforts with
success, but it was otherwise decreed, for when they
had approached well towards the of of their ansi.
OM solicitude, a most awful surge struck the wreck—it
was thrown over, and the devoted crew wt sum-
moned to eternity, almost at the moment when deli-
verance seemed to be within their reach.

'TER

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