The National Register.
London, England, 1818-03-02 00:00:00

HENDICITY OF THE METROPOLTS.

Wednesday a meeting took place at the Crown and
Anchor Tavern, tint the purpose of receiving the Re-
port of the Committee fitr the suppression of Mendi-
city in the Metropolis.—Mr. Sturges Bourne in the
chair, who stated, that the Committee lmving taltn
into consideratiun the intelligence they were able to
collect, classed the several points they conceived essen-
tial, and likely to obtain general concurrence, under
the following heads :

1. A central superintending.office for examination in the first in.
stance, with local (,:oilimittccs for suloayttent investigation.
Y. Accurate accounts of eitiatMg c:.arituble institutions.
3. liiimetliate communication with l'atis:a Weal, soliciting titir
assistance und co-operation with the Society.
4. The issue of tickets far distri'oution to street beggars—su...l
tickets to contain A reference to Cie office, where the case ufevay
dicidual Ises,7:tr will undergo a strict invesugation. That ace wain.;
to the result of such investigation, application shall be made to Et.. t
paniehial or charitable fund us the individual may appear to hay.-
claim upon : and that in the mean time, such iminediattreliet
be absolut ly necessitty beattlirded.by this Society.
5. That Bach sturdy beggars as persist in asking alms, or reface to
submit to be esainintal, shall be dealt with accoriirog to law.

6. That as soon as bite above regulations are bigaeht into a state
of etfieiency, the Committee tiotify the same to the Public, eArnestly
requesting all persons to abstain hum bestowing alms in the strews,
and to adopt the plan of tickets.
7. 'ro adopt measures fur ultimately extending the plan tint:L.l,3l:-
oot the kingdom.

A desultory conversation then ensued, in which Nlr.
Bowen& Mr. Hunt, Mr. C. Barclay, and Mr. Hume
bore a part; after which thanks were voted to the
Chairman, and to M. Martin, Esq. and the Meeting
adjourned.

NORTHERN EXPEDITION.—If an open navigation
should be discovere.l across the Polar Basin, the passage
over the Pole, or close to it, will be one of the most
interesting events to science that ever occurred. it
will be the first time that the problem was pea nk:111y
solved, with which the !careers of geography arc some-
times puzzled-:-that of going the ahorte.l way between
two places lying east awl west of each other, by wisheg
a direction of north and south. The passage of the.
Pole will require the undivided attention of the nevi.
gator. On approaching this point, from which the
northern coasts of Europe, Asia, and America, and
every part of them, will bear sonik of him, nothing eu3
possibly assist him in determinitig his course, and keep-
ing on:the right meridian of his destined place, but a
correct knowledge of the time, and vet no means of as-
scertaining that time will be affiertied him The only
time he can have with any degree of certainty, ae long
as he remains on or near the Pole, must he that of
Greenwich, and this he can kniaw only from good
chronometers; for from the general hazy state of the
atmosphere, anti particularly :about the
.horizon, mad
the sameness in the altitude cf the Sun, at every hour
in the four-and-twenty, he must not expect to obtain an
approximation even of the apparent time; by observa-
tion, and he will have no stars to assist hint. All his
ideas respecting the Heavens, and the reckoning of his
time, will be reversed, and the change not gradual, as
in proceeding from the east to the west, or the contrary,
but instantaneous. The magnetic needle will point to
• its unknown magnetic Pole, or fly round from the point
of the bowl from which it is suspended, mid that which
indicated north will now be south ; the east will become
the ,vest, and the hour 9f noon will be that of mid-
night.
The arrangements for the vessels about to explore the
Arctic regions are now nearly completed, and it is ex-
pected they will leave the river about the 24th March.
Every precaution has been taken for the general corn-
fort of the crews, fixed bed-places are fitted, with
sliding doors, for men to sleep in ; housings, to form
roofs over the ships in the event of being frozen in ; a
liberal supply of vegetab!ex, and a proportion of six
months' beef, slightly corned, with some preserved
meat, will be supplied. The laabella and Alexander
are intended to proceed in a north-west direction to
Davis's Straits, owl explore there ft ar a passage through,
into the great Pacific Oman, by the American conti-
nent. The Dorothea and Trent, proceeding to the
eastward of Greenland, will take a northerly direction,
in the hope of reaching the Pole, and fr.en thence to
Delwin •r's. Strait s.
The Northern Expedition, if' unsuccesAJl, is ex-
pected to terminate about September, 1819 ; if it he
successful, and that the navigators return be the In-
dian Seas, a reward of 20,0001, .will be distributed
amongst the crews. Notwithstanding this, and an allow.
ance of 31. per month, a difficulty is faind in obtaining•
suitAls bands fir the voyage, amid the vessels will com-
plete their crews at the. -Orkneys.. the great eendezvons
of Krone, for the Greenland.ser vice. Spare rudders,
anchors, capstans, masts, spars, and boats, are carried by
the VeSlielb j the ox.iners find sails and other things en
the same conditions as tier transports.
Report states, that the Minister of a great Northern
• Power lately pr:seeted en official note, retnanstrating
against the marked oijection which has been made to
the eresentation ufan i:luterious lady et Court since her
arrival-in this country. The note, however, has cot
produced the desired effect, and, in consequence of this
failure, the Minister of the Sovereign alluded to, did
not, on Thursday, attend ll< tlajesty's Drawing-
room.