The National Register.
London, England, 1811-09-22 00:00:00

MISCELI,ANILS.

Tuesday a Court of Aldermen was held at Guildhall, when
the Sheriffs elect, Mr. Ald rman Birch and Wni. 1 levgate, Esq.
gave bond to take upon them the office of Sheriffs of London and
Middlesex, at Michael vas next. Upwards of 2000 ounces of
gold was sworn to as foreign. coin for exportation.
On Thursday, a meeting was held of the Proprietors of Bank
Stock, to determine the dividend for the past half year. Mr.
Clifford, the Barrister, in a speech of an hour and a half, ani-
madverted upon the conduct of the Directors, in with-holding
from circulation under the present circumstances, the great
quantity of coin which was hoarded up in the repositories of the
Bank. He also contended, that the state of the profits was such
as to afford an increase upon the usual dividend ; and, cniforin-
ably to this opinion, moved, that the dividend shohld he declared
to be 7?; per cent. l'he Duke of Norfolk addressed the meeting
on the great scarcity of chunge throughout the Country, and
pressed on the Directors the necessity of further issues. Mr.
Pearce inf,rmed his Grace, that the Bank had recently issued
half a million of spcie, and that they intended to continue
coining till the wants of the Country were completely, supplied.
'Mr. Clifford's motion was then negatived; and the half-yearly
dividend was declared, as usual, at 5 per cent.
All the Country Bankers have received permission to issue
silver tokens for small change. The Devonshire Dank has em-
•ployed an artist in town to stamp near five thousand pounds
worth of tokens for shillings and sixpences.
The Ely Bank stopped payment on Monday morning last, to
the great consternation of that town and neighbourhood. The
sAnes of distress witnessed at Ely, in consequence of this event,
can scarcely he conceived. The circulation of the Bank was
principally hi small notes, nearly all of which are in the hands of
little tradesmen, and of the labouring class of people, the latter
basing just received their harvest *area in these notes, among

.

REGISTV.

whom are many Irish who work in the fens at this season. The
higher order of tradesmen and fanners seemed to have andel.
pated the failure, for few of them held notes to a large amount;
but the distress of the other zlacits beggars aU description, as
many poor families are destitute of the means of purchasing the
necessaries of life, much less of paying their rents or tradesmen's
bills.

It appeared from observations made by Fabrenheit's thermo-
meter, that the mercury stood on Wednesday last at 128 in the
Sun, being four degrees higher than is general with the heat in
the West Indies, and eight degrees more that the usual scale at
Bombay.
The excessive heats of July Inge occasioned the conflagration
of several forests in the Tyrol, with the consequent destruction
of 61 villages and hamlets, situated in their vicinityy, and of the
lois of near 10,0(1) head of cattle. The ilincipal font, which
has thus been destroyed, is Riamneg, of ab ,ut seven tni! .s in
extent, and three in breadth, and distant three leagues trots
Inspruck. It caught fire on the 26th of July, and had not
ceased burning on the 4th of August. Near 24 thousand pea-
sants had been deprived of habitations by these conflagrations,
which had occasioned likewise an epidemic that carried oft great
numbers daily.
'throughout all the depots of France, the Spanish pricorers of
war, acquainted wilt naval affairs, have been invited to enter
into the French service. They are to receive 60 livres bounty,
and the pay of a regular seaman..
• Lord Courtcuay has talc,. n ;.orue ground about six miles front
New Yo k, on which he is erecting a splendid mansion. He
has launched a grand carriage with a suitable equipage, but sees
no company.
The Cominb•sioners of his Majesty's Customs have offered a
reward of QN E I alit D l' to all persons who will give inform-
ation of any illicit waffle in gold, and the name of the informer
will be conceal,. d.

On Thursday, Chamberlain, coachmat to the Bath and Bristol
Man from Lad-lane, was orderel to. find hail till the Sessions,
on a charge of buying guineas at a greater sum than their legal
value. The evidence against him was a Colice Officer, named
Ruthein, who laid a trap for his detection, by order of Mr.
Powell, solicitor to the Mint, and had him apprehended.
A discovery has recently been made, which will, doubtless,
lead to an investigation of the timber an the dock-yards; and
also occasion a more minute inspection of such as may hereafter
be delivered into them. Th- Queen Ch rlotte, of 120 guns,
the building of which ship lasted some years, in Deptford dock.
yard, has, on ly,r arrival at Plymouth, been declared by the
Officers of that yard to be in a rapid state of decay, owing to
the dry rot. This discovery, it seems, arose from its being
found necessary to caulk the ship's top-sides where the effects
of the rut appeared visible. The timber in which the decay
has taken place principally consists of Canada oak. The Queen
Charlotte was launched on the 17th of July, last year, at Dept-
ford, arid went to Sheerness, where she lay sev, rat months to
stetson ; and not long since piuceteled under charge of Captain
Illaurice, and a proper number of Officers and men, from that
place to Plymouth.
Ex FRAQIWINARY CUARACTER.—Mrs. B. a respectable old
Lady, residing at the wcst eind of Oxford-street, returning
from church a Sunday or two ago, called on her way home on
an undertaker, and saying she Aid not expect to live very long,
wished to know what he evould charge for looyisig her. The
undertaker, of course, a-ked her where she would like to be
interred, &c. when she said she wished to be laid in the family
vault, mentioning the place a Western county), but that she
was not going to have any one to follow her, and did not wish
any finery—merely a leaden coffin, with a hearse and a pair of
horses. After much talking and reckoning on both sid,e, the
!Nice was fixed at 501. to include every ex.pence, and a written
agreement to that effect was entered into. The Lady's
tnnent proved not to be urroneons, for on I\4lmd:ty last she died.
The night before she was complaining much at the dearness of
every thing, the rise of bread, &c. and felt very uneasy at an
unnecessary expeuce she had lately incurred, viz. a chaldrou of
coals, which had unfortunately the day before come in, and
which she had countermanded three different times. Since her
200.1. duty has been paid for the money she had saved
(within a year or two) out of her yearly income. Her eldest
son had 18 0001. per annum since the death of his father.
The greatest attraction in the smallest State 'Lottery ever
known. The Capital Prizes more varieui.—Tickets end Shares
consiierabty cheaper than for newy Years past, ant 3 Prizes of
14,(401. 30f 5,00:0, 3 of 2,000, 6 et 1,0(4), 12 of 500. end up-
wards of 2,7n0 of leo, 50, 25, to be drawn Tuesday,
the fe2d of October. In the late October Lottery. upwards of
19,000 Tickets were sold; in the resent th-re are only 1 ;400
Tickets, and from the universally approved Scheme, and great
Demand, it is likely all the Tickets and Shares will be sok& be-
fore the Drawing.