The National Register.
London, England, 1817-04-07 00:00:00

(Timm THE NORWICH PAPER,)

One of those unfortunate accidents vs high attend even
the best arranged establishments, that carry with them a err-
taiii though remote danger, occurred here yesterday 1110111-
ing, and we state the extensive cal entity With nitic4 acute
pain. The horrible spectacle of eight mangled carcases is
yet before our eyes. These are Ilse miserable victims of' the
bursting of the steam boiler in the packet which sails front
the Fonsidery-bridge. Just after the boat had started, it hail
not gone twenty yards. when the tremendous explosion took
place. The vessel was resit to atones, so that little remains
entire, from the stern to the cm:isle-room, except the' keel
and the flooring. Twenty-two passengers appear to have
been on board. The bodies of eight are found—five into
and three women; one child yet missing, and six have been
sent to the Hospital in a wounded state: six escaped unhurt.
Of these last. one Man was standing user the boiler when the
explosion happened. It is said Major Mason was another.
whose clothes were t :rib by the shock, but who was otherwise
uninjured. The third was an infant, two mouths old, and
the little innocent was discovered at the Iridium of the vessel
in a protbusid sleep, after the removal of the dreadful list eck.
" At this moment the Coroner's Inquest is sitting, and we
have only time to subjoin the names of the dead :

" James Squires. of Oorlemon ; Miircon, a linen-
ili ape'. Butler, of Pocktliorpe; Win. Nicholson, the
Ateresnutti Of the boat ; Mrs. Smith, who lived n. at. the Nor-
fitl► and Norwich Hospital ; Eliza Stevens, of Variootith ;
man unknown, in a sailor's dies., front Lynn, apparently be-
tween 50 and 60. Both his leg, arr torn off ; a voting woman,
mime unknown, who ',toted that ,he had been to Hingham foe
relief. 'lke infant as her child."

A DeAPEn %Tr: FooTPAD.—A most dating attempt was
music lately by a footpad, to rob Iwo gentleman iii tient, and
which was attended with some eNtramtlinary riretim,st 'awes.
.Ir. Brown, a sin gemi, in company with his hrotherindaw,
quitted the coach which had conveyed them from town in the
unoighboonrhood of Lewisham, in older to proceed by a foot-
palh across the fields, the neatest way to that will tee, where
one or both of the gentlemen re.ided. The matt they had to
pass lay close to Cite liver s:de, ..ii the hanks of a hirli were
growing some Loge bushes: from behind title tot them .1 ruffian
suddenly sprung, who, without uttering a word, snapped
pistol at It. Brown, which fortunately missed the. At the
balm, moment Mi. H. seized the villain, and in the vitollesit
struggle that ensiled they both feil into the water together:
Mr. Mown endeavoured to keep his kohl of the robber, and
lie as resolutely fought for his liberty. Mr. Brute Ws brother
was prompt in OM; ding assistanre to his relation, and having
'tastily snatched the first weapon he could tind, he began to
lay at lustily about the stirs of the •irtain; when the lath r de-
liberately Mosel ved, " If y,,u do not lea, e me alone, I shall
drown your friend, for I line to zod him snug enough under the
water." With this the villain meth. another etibrt, diet. gaged
I self from Mr. Brown, and scrambled down the raver to
sonic distance before he velum eit to gain the land. Just as
he reached the bunk, and :%lr. Brunt's friend in pursuit, a
countryman came in sight, having no his head a basket of
eggs. 'Clic brother called to him to stop thief, but in attempt-
ing to obey him, the villain upset hint, eggs and all, into the
river, and got clear 011. Mt. Itrown, by this time, had been
assisted em shore iis a nianelrd and exhausted state. The
villain was a stout fellow, and, during the contest in and out
of the water, he had beaten the fate of Mr. Brown most vio-
lently, and brOkso:4 0.. 0, „I, •
ht.,. N t %;t. v tit •. ‘•, ••• ,

I,i-
-to

REVIEW OF LITERATURE.

PAMPHLETE:EIt, No. XVIII.

IN calling the attention of our readers to the above
Number of this work which has just appeared, we must
observe that the pamphlets it contains are particularly
interesting. Most of them are on subjects of great
national importance, but the first, though it refers only
to the personal concerns of a foreign individual, has al-
ready excited the anxious curiosity of the British pub-
lic. The one to which we allude is, "A vindication
of the political conduct of General Savant, Dake of Ro-
vigo, in a letter from himself to the Editor."
The reason which has occasioned the appearance -of
this pamphlet, is a charge which was publicly brought
against the author by a countryman of his own, after
he was obliged to leave France, of being the chief agent
in the murder of Captain Wright, and also of Pichegru.
The accusation which is made in the most unequivo-
cal terms is, in our opinion, completely refuted by the
statement of the accused, who shows by incontestable
facts, that he could not have been guilty of the foul
crime imputed to him, and appeals to witnesses of the
first respectability to prove he was absent front the
scene of Abe catastrophe at the time of its occurrence.
While exculpating himself he enters into some curious
details, and states certain particulars respecting Fouche,
which are.by no means favourable to the character of
the wily Ex-Minister But the statement, which to
the English reader will appear most singular, is one
which refers to the Queen of 5 who iyalledged to
have meditated another Sicilian vespers, in order to ex-
terminate our countrymen, and free herself from the
insupportable restraints of our protection. The intend-
ed massacre it appears, was communicated to Napoleon,
who, far from approving so diabolical a project, showed
his abhorrence of it, by ordering the messenger to be
immediately imprisoned. A document from under
Napoleon's own hand, is given to corroborate this
charge, and indeed the author himself seems studious
to write " a round unvarnished tale."
This very interesting patophlet is followed by the
" Source of the Evil," a pamphlet on the Catholic
Question, supposed to be written by an Irish bishop of
very superior talents.
The disunion among the Catholics themselves, on
the measure of Emancipation, and the conduct of their
chief popular leaders, arc here very spiritedly discanted
upon, and the writer is of opinion that emancipation
can never tranquilize Ireland, while he thinks that a
change of faith on the part of the Catholics, can alone
be attended with real beue.it to the nation.
The present number has two pamphlets on " Refiwnt,"
the one original, and the other re-published, the for-
mer by S. Syrnmons, Esq and the latter by Sir Phillip
Francis, K.B. Both are at this juncture extremely in-
teresting. A pamphlet by Mr. Freud, entitled, " The
National Debt in its true colours. with plans fur its ex-
tinction," has many judicious observations, and censur-
ing those persons who exaggerate the national distress,
the writer proposes sonic feasible plans for the liquida-
tion of the debt.
The next pamphlet in the collection is, " A Letter
addressed to Lord Sidnumth on Public House Licens-
ing, by J. Barber Beaumont, Esq. F.A.S. Those
abuses, many of which are already known to the public,
which have arisen front the present system of Public
House Licensing, are in this pamphlet clearly detected,
and remedies of apparent efficacy are proposed.
Mr. Malthus's pamphlet refuting the charges
brought against the East India College, follows the one
we have just noticed, and vindicates, in spirited lan-
guage, the conduct of' the general body of the students,
while it asserts the necessity of two establishments, one
in England and the other in India.
After this comes " the substance of a Speech of Mr.
GrentiAl on the Sinking Fund," this speech displays
much knowledge of financial economy, and evinces no
common decree of accurate investigation.
An original pamphlet by Mr. Jee, " On the Poor
Laws," traces the origin of these laws, and suggests
some judicious remedies for the evils they have for
many years produced.
Sir John Lincoln's pamphlet "On the State of the
Nation, in December 1816," though they possess
merits which are completely distinct, will however, be
perused to advantage.