The National Register.
London, England, 1817-11-03 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR.

Sot,—llaving observed in your paper of Tuesday a copy of a letter
from Capt. Scovill, of the ship Venus, of this port, published in Lon-
don, stating, that young Watson did not arrive here in his ship, and
also that he believes young Watson is not in America. I beg leave to
inform you, that, when at Philadelphia last June, I saw NI r. BMus
editor of The Democratic Press, who told me that this celebrated
young man had been with him, accompanied by a Mr. Poyser and
daughter. Having been myself a passenger in the Venus, this state-
ment excited my curiosity, and I requested Mr. Hintze to dc'eribe the
person of Watson; he did so, when I instantly rocognized him to
have been one of the passengers who took the name of Peirce*. Mr.
l'oyser and his daughter were passengers also (I well remember
them), and ac:ompamed young Watson to this country.
" Off Ilea we were brought to by the Ganymale frigate, and
strictly searched, under the auspicies of a Thames Police Magistrate.
and Mr. Taunton. a well-known officer. Young Watson, I ant in-
funned, wished to conceal himself, but was prevented by Mr. Poy-
ser ; and fortunate he was, in billowing his advice, for we were all
mustered, and any one not forthcoming would hays been certainly
found, and secured on suspicion.
" Since the termination of the voyage, I have not seer. zither Mr.
Poyser or Watson, but sin informed that the old gentleman arrived
here just in time to take possession of the property of his brother.
who died a few weeks hack, leaving r 3,000 dollars behind him.—
oung Watson has opened a school at Pittsburg, where he and Mr.
Poyser intend to remain. These particulars have been confirmed to
me by many corroborating circumstances and accounts, particularly
them relating to his escape, by Mr. Pendrill, who concealed young
Watson in Newgate.street, London, and saw him safe on board the
Venus at Gravesend. A friend of mine, also, just returned from
Pittsburg, has seen Mr. Poyser, and heard the whole account from
hint in propria persona.
•• I cannot for a moment suppose ('apt, Scolvill, or, indeed, any
one else. except Mr. Povser, to have known of young Watson's being
on board the Venus. while on the passage; I certainly had no such
idea myself at the time, although at this moment I feel middy'' assured
of the accuracy of what I have related.
" Your obedient servant,
"A PASSENGER ON BOARD THE VENUS.
P. S. A subscription was raised for young Wasson in Philadel-
phia, to defray the expcnsgs of his journey westward."
• The Liverpool paper says he shipped himself by the name of
Dudley.

ENTERTAINMENT at the MANSION HOUSE.

On Tuesday night the Lady Mayoress gave a ball and supper to
about 400. It wag elegantly attended.
After supper, the usual toasts passed, and several songs were sung
with the usual applause.
The following toast, which gave rise to some unexpected and very
singular ob,ervations, was recetvcil with acclamations.

" His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex—the friend of mankind."
His Royal Ilighnes; said. that the sentiments with which his
name was associated. if indeed the application was not inaccurate.
arose from a British education, by which he was taught that the con-
science should be as free from fetters as the body, and that slavery
should exist no where except in apprehension, so that our very fears
should give us a sort of security against danger. The spirit attri-
butod to him by the company operated with such force upon the pre-
sent Chief Magistrate. that he thought the most effectual way of re-
turning them his acknowledgements, would be by recommending
to the City of London an adherence to the principles by which that
bold, honest energetic, and independent man had been, in his is() years
of unparalleled activity, uniformly influenced. Upon the present oe..
casion, at a close of a mayoralty the most distinguished, it was int
possible to suppress the Nish to comment upon a series of benefits
which the conummity had received at his hands. To this, he (the
Duke of Sussex) MU the more incited, as this was most probably the
last visit he should pay to the Mansion house for a considerab e time.
(laughter and applause.) To suitup the labours of the last two
years, it was only necessary to sae. that the reliance upon the talents
and virtue of the Lord Mayor, in a cases of difficulty with which
he had been surrounded, had been so judiciously placed, that at kngth
it became implicit, and vice had an antagonist iu his zeal and abhor-
rence with which it would be impossible to contend. In confirmation
of this, his Royal Highness quoted the authority of the Judges, who.
he said, (and it constituted thechief pride of the land)as independent
characters as any in it. At the same time that he prophesied the long
discontinuance of his visits at the Mansion-house he declared, that he
should always feel rejoiced in giving his sup o, rt to those who ,n,..
coaled to the Chief Magistracy, if it appraises' they were led by m:.x-
int• as pure and immutable as those t 4 which he had just alluded.
The I hike then gave " The I Air.l Mayor,"
His Lordship, atter complimenting the ladie. on their smiles, said,
he hoped his Royal I lighness would be indue.al to visit the Mansim.
house as often as ever.
The last toast was given by the l)uke of Sussex : it was " Happy
have we been ; sorry do we p:trt ; and happy may we meet again."
The company separated at 4 o'clock,