The National Register.
London, England, 1820-05-28 00:00:00

EDWARDS, THE SPY.

On Monday last, the Grand Jury for the county
of Middlesex found a true bill of indictment for
High Treason against this man. The old observa-
tion, that " there is honour among thieves," has
been verified in this instance, and Edwards, WILr
having entrapped his victims, has been himself con-
veyed out of the kingdom, and placed in a situation
of safety till he may be wanted again.—The follow.
ing correspondence between Mr. Alderman Wow{
and Lord Sidmouth, on this subject, will be read
with touch interest:—

LETTER 1.
FROM LORD SIDXOUTH TO ALDEB.IIIAR W 00D.
Whitehall, April 26, te24l.
have to thank you for the statements of Mary Barker.
Thomas Chambers, William Tunbridge, and George Pickard,
which you left, in my absence, in the hands of Mr. Clive.
You are probably aware, Intri the list of witue ses which has
been delivered to the prisoners now on their trial, that George
Edwards, who is alluded to in those statements, is named ia
that list, and is liable to be called as a witness for the Crown ;
nod there does not appear to me any sufficient ground for insti-
tuting any proceedings against am, Sir, your moat
obedient servant. 61DMOUT1I.
Mr. Alderman Wood, &c.

LETTER If.
TO THE THOITT 110 N. VISCOUNT 511111MUTIR.
Mr LORD.—Haring brought the question respecting George
Edwards before the House last evening, it is my intention to
renew that question inn different form. I have received consi-
derable inferio,ition besides those documents I left at your
Lordship's oflice, confirming the infamous conduct of Edwards.
I have, therefore, to request your Lordship will prevent Edwards
from leaving the country, es I have been this day inforrued he
is preparing to leave England tin. America.-1 have the honour
to be, my Lord, your most obedient servant,
May 3, 1820. M. WOOD.
LETTER 111.
raom LORD SIDHOUTH TO MR. ALDERMAR WOOD.

4 Whitehall, May 3, 1820.
Sts,—l have received your letter of this date, in which you
request me to prevent George Edwards front leaving this anon.
try; and in reply, I have to acquaint you, that I know of no
cround, which would justify me in issuing a warrant against
Edwards, that being the only mode by which I could comply
with your request.-1 have the honour to be, Sir, your most
obedient humble servant,
Mr. Alderman Wood. SIDMOCTII.

LE'rTER IV.

TO TAT RIOEITliON: VISCOUNT SIDNOUTH.
MY LORD,-li am honoured with your Lordship's answer to
my letter of yesterday, respecting George Edwards, wherein you
state that you know of no ground which would justify you in
issuing a warrant against him." I consider that those depositions
which I left at your Lordship's Office, contain such charges as
would fully justify your Lordship in apprehending George
Edwards. Perhaps your Lordship's objections are, that they are
not sworn ; if so, I beg to inform you, that the parties were in
attendance at your Lordship's Office, to give evidence, and were
ready to be sworn to their statements, and arc now ready, at an
hour's notice, to attend your Lordship. I have also other evi-
-1 dente to produce. I remain your Lordship's most obedient
humble servant, M. WOOD.
77, South Audley Street, May 4, 1820.

I. ETT ER V.
FROM LORD SIDMOUTU TO MR. ALDERMAN WOOD.
Whitehall, May 4,
have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of this
clay's date, in which I see no ground for altering the opinion
00mmuniatted to you in my termer letters.—l have the honour
to be, Sir, your most obedient humble servant,
SI D MOUTH.
Mr. Alderman Wood, n, South Audley Street.
DOCUMENTS ALLUDED TO IN LETTER I.
Mary Barker sworn.—l ant daughter of Richard Tide]: c.-,Me
time previous to the Yid of February, two bundles of stick, (pike
handles), some grenades, some powder and ball in a haversack.
were brought to my father's lodgings (where I also teside) aud
left there. I did not know the articles were grenades at that
time. The powder, 4.Tenades, and hull, were let? by Ydwards.
with &promise of calling again for them in a short time. Oac
large grenade, about 12 or 14 pounds weight, was brought by
Adams. Edwards, some days afterwards, called for the grenades ;
I was at home; he said, ••Give me those things ; I will take them
and get them finished." lie took them w.th him, and subse-
quently brought them back in a finisli.al state. Edwards called
again. early on the morning of the Yid, and took away the balls
and the grenades. lie called again about three o'clock in the
afternoon of the same day, and took with him part of the powder.
A box, strongly corded, was left by a man I do net know, never
having, to my recollection. seen hint before or since. Some pike
staffs were brought by a man, who said that Edwards desired lam
to leave them. Two hmdles in brown paper were left; one by
Edwards, and the other by Adams. About a week prior to the
23d, Edwards Caine and wok them away.
(Signed) MARY BARKER.
(The nest document is nit of James Chambers, W. Tun-
bridge, and G. Pickard, the oo:itents uf which were mentioned
in the speech of Altlei man Wood, in the I louse of Commons.]
Edwards, it is said, has left this country for New
Brunswick. If so, the reward of 1001. offered for
taking him into custody, will be unavailing.

A trial was made on Tuesday at the brewery of
Messrs. Barclay and Co. of Mr. Josiah Parke's inven-
tion for the consumption of smoke in steam-engines
and other tbrnaces. The application had been made
in the short space of five days, to three distinct
boilers, and we have the pleasure to say that it
completely succeeded, to the entire satistac ion of the
respectable proprietors, and to that of Mr. M. A.
Taylor, who has brought the matter before the
House of Commons, with the view of rescuing the
Metropolis from the intolerable nuisances of smoke
rising from the numerous furnates. There were
also present the Earl of Rossivn, the Earl of Hare-
wood, Mr. K. Finlay, Mr. l'eploe, Mr. Monteith,
Provost of Glasgow, Mr. S. Turner, Mr. Tancred,
and others, who all expressed their perfect conviction,
that by this easy, cheap, and certain means, all the
evils complained of, by the esta..ishment of menu-
actorLs requiring furnaces, may be removed.
On the I.lth instant a dreadful storm ravaged the
town and neighbourhood of Comincicy. The loss is
said to be incalculable.

in

CORONATION. -
--4 p-
- HALL.
The preparations for the approaching Coronation are
- torch. proceeding. Some considerable improvements
Wesoninster Hall are nearly completed ; and further
alter:moos, of an extensive nature, arc contemplated.—
The requration of the eratid window at that end of the
Hall facing new Palace-yard, is almost finished ; the
completion of the jrnibs and the recesses which used to
be occupied with full length figures of our ancient
&c. remains to be done. It is known possibly to
but few, that there is at the opposite end of the Hall,
behind the Courts of Chancery and King's Bench, and
between which there are steps and a passage leaden; to
the Houses of Parliament, a window as large and as
grand as that facing New Palace Yard, made in tact to
correspond with it. This window is now almost wholly
hidden by those irregular am! confined Courts raised for
the King's Bench end Chancery,—Courts, too, that
emained open to the view of the spectators in the Hall,
till the commencement of George I ll.'s reign. These
two Courts arc to be entirely removed, by which means
the other wand wiudow wiil be once inure in full view;
aitsl tile workmen have begun to repair that part of the
wisidniv vi hich appears above the Courts. Tins will
greatly improve the appearance of that fine Hail, which
is i re larss•st in Europe unsupjorted by pillars.
The finely coloured and curious figures of ancient
Kiss ss hich are now stationed over the heads of the
Leon Chancelior and the King's Bench Judges, will he
re: toned to the niches remaining in the jambs on either
slaw of this window. The end of the Hall will then
present an appearance exactly similar to what it was in
!!. olden time," in Richard 11.'s reign. That Monarch,
iu 130, repaired the Hall, which was then in a very
ruinous condition ; he had the walls raised, altered the
windows, and added a new roof, as well as the stately
porch and other buildings.
The Courts of Chancery and King's Bench are not,
it is stated, to be restored to the places which they now
occupy, but new Courts are to he erected, according to
the plan of the late Mr. ‘Vyatt, who was surveyor-
general, and architect to Geo. 111. in a line with the
Common Pleas and the Court of Exchequer. They
will thus be built on the space between the walls of
Westminster-hall and the stone buildings which front St.
Margaret's Church. There is room suffictient for most
commodious Courts.—The entrance, however, will be
in Westminster Hall, and will be uniform with :hat
which already. exists into the Common Pleas. This
a improvement is most desirable, and has been long
'canted.
There are six large new windows in progress on each
side of the roof of the Hall. They are about ten feet in
height and six feet six inches wide, and are of gothic
structure, so as to accord exactly with the windows
underneath, the workmanship of the roof, &c. of
Richard II 's reign. Heretofore there were only three
or four windows in the roof introduced since the great
repairs, and which were of a small and mean structure ;
and as to their use, they only tended to make " darkness
visible.''
The roof, as is known, consists chiefly of Irish oak
and chesma wood, most curiously constructed, and of a
foe species of gothic. The projections are every where
adorned with angels supporting the arms of Richard 11.
or those of Edward the Confessor ; as is the stone mould-
lee that runs round the Hall, with the hart couched
I;acier a tree, arid other devices of Richard 11. Time
anti alterations have occasioned many mutilations;
those are to be repaired, and the roof made more obvi-
ous by the large new gothic windows.
Numbers of workmen are now daily employed in the
Hall, as well as in large workshops stationed on the
space between the Ferry and the Exchequer. The grand
door of the Hall is constantly closed to strangers; the
only entrances to the Hall are along the Exchequer
Coffee-horse passage, and by the House of Commons
from Old Palace Yard.
THE BRITISH REGALIA.
St. Edward's crown, or the diadem of the coronation,
is an imperial crown of gold, embellisbed with diamonds,
rubies, emeralds, pearls, and sapphires. On the top is a
mound of gold, encircled with a fillet of the same metal
splendidly jewelled, and surmounted with a golden
1.11333, which bears three very large and valuable pearls.
This crown it composed of four crosses and fourfsairs de
1:4, upon a golden circlet; four arches rise from the
crows, on the intersection whereof the mound is
placed. The cap is of purple velvet, lined with white
taffeta, and faced with ermine. The crown of state,
worn by the King on his return from the coronation,
and in the House of Parliament, is in the same shape,
but much mine splendid. Its crosses and Pure de /is
are composed of very large and brilliant diamonds, and
its mooed is an aqua tsarinas:, or sea-water diamond,
seven inches in circumference, and valued at one hun-
dred thousand pounds. In the front cross is a rocky
ruby unpolished. Tins inestimable stone is of the
colour of a cherry, and nearly three inches in lens,tll.
The cap of this crown is also of purple velvet, and faced
with ermine. The golden orb, which is placed its the
King's right hand immediately before he is crowned,
and which, after the coronation, he carries in his left,
is six inches in diameter. It is enriched with a golden
fillet, which is bordered with two rows of pearl, and
a horned w int very large diamonds, rubies, emeralds, mid
and sapphires. On the top is au amethyst, nearly an*
inch and a half in height, and valued at fifteen thousand
poaads, and upon which a golden cross is placed, richly
sst wins diamonds, and hat log a large emerald on the
one side, and a large sapphire on the other. It has also
four large pearl- at its angles, and three at its ends. The
whole height of the orb and crass is eleven. inches. Time
King's sceptre with the dove is of gold—iti length three
feet seven inches, iu circumference three inches at the
handle, and rather less at the top. The pommel is
encircled with a fillet of table diamonds, and three
several parts of the rod are richly ornamented with
jewels. The mount at the top is also filleted with dia-