The Sun.
London, England, 1822-11-25 00:00:00

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE IN HOLBORN.;;

- .
On Saturday night, at about a quarter of an
hour before 12 o'clock, an alarm of fire was given by the family
of Mr. Walker, feather-bed and mattress manufacturer; No.
60, High Holborn, two doors above Hand-court, and next door -
to Mr. Taylor's architectural library. At the time, the family,
consisting chiefly of females, threw open the shop door and
rushed out into the street in great disorder ; a shower of sparks
were seen from without falling down the stairs at the back of the
shop from the first floor, in great abundance, and it was evident
that the interior of the house, from the first to the second floor,
was even enveloped in 'a body of fire. A passenger immedi-
ately ran to obtain a fire-engine, and the Eagle Insurance-office.
was the first that received the intelligence, but for some cause or
other the engine was not out with proper speed, and the parish
engine had arrived at the spot, and was at work a considerable
time before it. In less than two minutes after the family got
out, the srriok,e, which issued in volumes from the door, was so
great as to prevent any one from saving the property in the shop,
which was in a blaze before the parish engine arrived. It was
some time before a sufficient supply of water could be obtained,
and when it was procured, the powers of the parish engine were
evidently so insignificant as to give not the slightest check to
the flames, and in a very few minutes the whole house was in a
blaze. The inmates of the adjoining house received a timely
alarm, but the progress of the fire was so rapid that Mr. Taylor's
architectural library was on fire and in blaze before any of the
highly valuable scientific books and drawings which it contained
could be got out. The house on the other side of Mr. Walker's,
61, was before it in the same situation, and nothing, as we are in-
formed, of any value was saved from either. In a minute or two
after the arrival of the Eagle fire engine, the roofs of two of the
houses fell in, and the three front houses were soon in such a
condition, that the firemen, with the other engines that fol-
lowed, thought only of directing their efforts to preserve the ad-
joining premises. The fire had caught the upper story of Mr.
Tate's, the baker, at the corner of Hand-court, but by the
spirited efforts of the firemen it was subdued, and by vigorous
working, the oil shop, No. 62, was saved. Had it caught fire,
the destruction that would have ensued is incalculable, as there
was no time for the removal of the stock. Although the fire
was checked in front, it „irained ground greatly behind, and -as
there was a keen wind blowing m a north westerly direction,
the flames were communicated rapidly to the back 'pre-
mises of the adjoining houses in Hand-court, and two
houses there were speedily in flames. The firemen, how-
ever, soon prevented a further progress. At about two
o'clock in the morning a _tremulous motion in the front
walls gave notice to- the firemen and bystanderS in the street to
get out of the way, and in a minute after the front of Mr.
Walker's house and :that of No. 61 fell in with a tremendous

crash. The fire made no_ progress after that time. Mr. Smith,
the occupier of the wine-vaults adjoining to Hand-court, had
been for some time unwell, but the shock given by the intelli-
gence of the danger was so great 'that he expired in the arms of
some persons who were conveying him up the court to a place of
safety. Beyond this calamitous occurrence, we heard of no loss
of life in consequence of the conflagration. No estimate can. be
formed of the loss but from such information as could be col-
lected. WTe understand that most of the property was insured.
The loss occasioned by the destruct:on of the Architectural
Library is irreparable to men of science, as it is the only house
in town entirely devoted to the publication and collection of ar.
chitectural works ; and none of the books or valuable plans
were saved. The engines were pumping upon the ruins the
the whole of yesterday, and even at ten o'clock 'this morning.
—Some dangerous piles of chimneys were left standing. The
thieves mustered in great numbers, but got little from any but
the by.standers. The distressed inmates of the houses destroy
ed by the conflagration, many of them in a state of nudity, were
received into the opposite houses.

THE MARKETS.

CORN EXCHANGE, Nov. 25.

The adverse and boisterous winds of last week occasioned the
supplies of all descriptions of Grain to be small this morning ;
there is a good supply of Wheat, Beans, and Peas, from Kent.
but scarcely any thing fresh in from other parts. Superfine
samples of Wheat sold readily on the same terms as last Mon-
day, but very little business has been done in other qualities.
Prime Barley for malting commands rather better prices, but
with other sorts sell heavy. Beans have experienced no varia-
tion whatever from this day se'nnight. Grey Peas obtain rather
more money, and Boiling sell heavily arour last quotation.
There is rather a fine trade for good sweet Oats, on much the
the same terms as this day se'nnight. Flour sells heavily, but
the price remains unaltered. Rape Seed is further declined U.
per last.
Wheat, Old, 24s 45s Pease, White ....... Ns 28s
I
- New 28s 46s - Grey 24a 26s
Rye 16s 23s Beans - 94s 30s
Barley 18s 34s I Oats 15s 26s
Malt 40s 56s Flour 3os 40s

AVERAGE PRICE OF CORN IN ENGLAND ANT) WALES.
Wheat, 395. 2d. ; Barley, 28s. 4d. ; Oats, 19g. Bd. ; Bye,
18s. 10d. ; Beans, 265. 7d. ; Peas, 28s. sd.
The Average Price of Brown or uscovado Sugar, computed
from the Returns made in the Week ending the 20th day bf
November, 1822, is 295. Old. per cwt.

SMITIIFIELI) MARKET, Nov. 25.
There was a very full Market this morning of every descrip-
tion of Cattle; amongst which were a great number of lean.
Oxen ; those of superior quality wire rather higher in price than
last market day ; Mutton is also somewhat dearer; all inferior
qualities ait almost 'unsaleable.
(To sink the Offal, per stone of Bth.)
Beef 2s 6d to 3s 6tl I
Veal ls Od to 4s Od
Mutton 2s 4d to 3s Oct Pork 3s Od to 3s td
Lamb Os Od to Os Od.
CATTLE AT. MARKET.
Beasts 3,000 I 0
Sheep and Lambs ~....20,70
Calves .210 Pigs
HAY AND STRAW, PER LOAD.
Hay £3 Os to .1:4 Os I Clover £3 lOs to £4 5s
Straw £1 tis to £1 16s.

LEICESTER, No v.22.--Yesterday the Anniversary Dinner of
the Corporation was given at the Guildhall, to a numerous and
most respectable assemblage of the County and Town, by
THOMAS CooK, Esq. The dinner was served up with much
taste. in two courses, and consisted of every delicacy in season.
The following Gentlemen honoured Mr. Mayor with their pre-
sence on the occasion :.—Earl Howe, Lord Robert Manners,
ButlerDanvers,Esq. F.W.Wollaston,Esq. Jn. Mansfield, Esq.
M.P., George Pochin, Esq. Richd Astley, Esq. C. Winstan.
ley, Esq. R. Cheslyn, Esq. John Clarke, Esq. Thos Sansome,
Esq. Rev. J. Ord, Rev. Mr. Holdich, Rev. T. Adnutt, Rev.
Mr. Mettam, J. P. Ord, Esq.. P. A. Lafargue Esq. P.
Humphrey, Esq. Rev. Mr. Belg,rave, Rev. R. Walker,
Leicester Journal, Nov. 22.)

THE LONDON JOURNALS.

Z XTR ACTS FROM TILE I) %I I.Y MORNING PAPERS

November 25, 18'22.

[MORNING HERALD.]
-We have received letters from our correspon-
*lent at Bayonne. They prove, in some degree,
that there is not much apprehension entertained
-thefe, at least for the present, of war between
I:rance and Spain ; but Austria looks, in all pro-
t.atility, with a longing eye o❑ Spain, which
country, as well as the Netherlands, once be-
inpged to the German Emperors. Austria there-
fo're would be apt to say at present to the King
of France, if your troops enter Spain without my
ip emission, my troops shall enter France. 'Tis
thus, probably, that crowned heads reason with
each other on these subjects ; and why not ?-
37hey are merely men ; and are guided in ge-
-Leral by the strict principle of self.

[MORNING POST.]
At a late hour last night we received French
P_►pers to the 23d instant. They admit the
existence of considerable alarm in the public
mind, and a consequent depression in the funds
cn •Thursday last, but attribute them both to re-
ports very different in their nature from those
which prevailed in this country. The health of
the King of France is not once mentioned, and it
is evident from the accounts of his transacting
business publicly with his Ministers, that he was
in his usual state, and that no apprehensions
whatever were entertained on that head. The
cause of the panic is officiallyexplained as follows
by the Evening Ministerial Journal-l'Etoile, the
tone of which is the more remarkable, as it would
seem as though the French Government had not
only relinquished its intention of carrying war
into spain, but began to dread the possibility of
Spain being. the first to commence hostilities.

[MORNING CHRONICLE.]
We do not wonder that the French, seeing the
immense preparations for war made by their Go-
vernment, should credit so readily every rumour
of hostilities which obtains circulation. It is dif-
ficult for them to believe that the Ultras) im-
becile as they are, would make these immense
preparations without a previous understanding
with the leading Powers of Europe, or that hav-
ing once made them, they will expose themselves
to the ridicule which would infallibly attach to
their remaining inactive. The precedent of
Naples too bears so exactly on the principle of
the present question, that they may he excused
for doubting the possibility of the Holy Alliance
refusing to France what it already granted to
Austria. It so happens, however, that the Holy
Alliance have from the first set themselves against
the demands of France. The question then, as
we have more than once observed, may be said
to reduce itself to this—will France dare to in-
vade Spain, not only without the consent, but
against the wishes of the Holy Alliance ? We
cannot believe this, and yet we are aware that
the French Ministry having gone so far, are
almost under •the inevitable necessity of attempt-
' ibg to go still further.

[NEW TIM ES.I
Consols for the Account closed on Saturday at
81. They had been done in the course of the
day at 804, principally in consequence of a
rumour of the death of the King of France,
-which proved to be totally unfounded. We see
no reason whatever for tl►e fall of the English
Funds in any of those events, the contemplation
of which so often produces a depression in our
Stock market. As to the death of the King of
France, it is a very foolish arid vulgar error to
suppose that is the present state of the French
Ministry and Legislature, it could give occasion
to the slightest disturbance. The case, no doubt,
would have been different had Louis X VIII.
died with a Talleyrand, a Fouche, or a Decaze
for his Minister. Revolutionary men must,
of course, have revolutionary connections ; and
whatever their wishes may be, they must favour
the revolutionary faction : but nearly three years
have elapsed since Decaze was driven from power,
and every day since that period
.has added to the
strength of the Government. At present the
great majority of both the Legislative Chambers
is Royalist, the army is Royalist, and the great
mass of the people are certainly not inclined to
revolution.. Whence then should any shock
arise to the Monarchy at the death of the King ?

[THE TIMES.]
...The Commissioners appointed by Act of Par.
'lament to inquire into the collection and manage-
ment of the Irish Revenue, have. published their
second and third report.- It is fair to say that
the Commissioners appear to have gone about.
4.4eir'bfiiinesS good earnest. They do not seem
to have spared labour in the attempt to discover
irregularities 'or abuses ; and what they have
diicovered, they manifest a strong willingness
to correct. We must remark, however, that
where an old depredator on the public purse has
been unkennelled, no delicacy or mercy ought to!
shown—his name ought to be held up for the
_Fake of notoriety—he ought to be hunted out
from the brood of minor vermin, and worried for
a warning to all. others. Here ,we are disposed
to question the firmness and impartial justice of
Abe: gentlemen composing the Committee. En-
ormous abuses have been made known, and gross
mismanagement of high public trusts has been
~t:e.corded. The Boards, and the ! superior
"Officers of Excise and Customs in Ireland,
have tolerated, and must have witnessed, the
wrongs inflicted by retail or wholesale on the
nation ; yet.an elaborate effort is made to screen
the master culprits, by censuring " the:system
itself," as if some dozen or eighteen men were
mot the movers and directors of the system;. and
_.were not, in' .part at least, responsible for those
.glaring vices. in its operation, which are now
.pronounced by authority to " call so loudly for
reform.
PRRSII.3, .
The:military:operations. in Spain have become
extremely complicated within
,about,a month •
Mina will hardly be able to undertake any thing

lon a
grand scale before winter, partly for want
of a sufficient force, and partly from the obsti-
nacy of the Catalonians, who fight like old
troops who are well paid, and have great
advantages over the Constitutional troops,
viz. their knowledge of the country, and the
support of the inhabitants : the last news state
that both l3alaguer and Agramont are evacu-
ated by the Royalists; but on the other hand, it
is affirmed that Gerona and Figueras are closely
pressed by 'Visas and Mosen Anton. It can hardly
be believed that Mina, braving the rigours of the
season and abandoning the country in his rear,
will run the risk of losing the flower of his troops
in the inaccessable mountains of Puycerda, espe-
cially since if he leaves his line well guarded, he
has at this moment scarcely 4000 men at his dis-
posal, which is by no means sufficient to force
the positions of the Royalists on the Segre
from Pons to Puycerda, not to mention Berga,
which is another Castelfollit. The want of money
had perhaps contributed to increase the disorder
which began to be perceived in the ranks of the
Royalists ; but it is affirmed, that at the begin-
ning of this month the Junta of Urgel received
from abroad 20 millions of mak.

PROVINCIAL JOURNALS.

( From the (Dublin) Patriot.)
ABUSE OF THE CLERGY.

Every age, has, its vulgar errors ; an abuse of
the Clergy is very prevalent at the present day. This is eagerly
seized upon, and promoted in a thousand ways by the infidels
and mob-agitators. First of all, there are some of our free-
thinking and free-acting Nobility and Gentry, men of all
parties, who hate the sight of a Clergyman, because he brings
to their minds unpleasant ideas both of this and the next
world ; the more respectable the Priest appears the greater is
their abuse ; and the real faults of the Clergy, so far from
being diminished, are in a very considerable degree increased
by the example, precept, and encouragement of these great
ones.—ln the next place, there is a set of men who are most
envious and jealous of every Clergyman ; it is a character that
is continually coming athwart their progress; it checks their
ambition, it prevents their usurpation, it stimulates their cha-
rity, and it excites their fears; these in social life are cons..
rnonly the companions and equals of the Clergy,- and in many
cases their competitors and rivals ; here we see the origin of
their abuse. Hence it is, that so much countenance is unliap-
pily given to undissembled hatred, illiberality, and falsehood;
and the evil conduct of one Clergyman becomes a prolific theme
for insinuation and invective against the whole body. Yet, in
spite of this host of organised foes, the public opinion, unin-
fluenced and uncorrupted, is decidedly in favour of the Clergy
as a body. The Clergy are unaffected by all these blights, and
winds, and storms, and shrink not from competition with the
brightest and best men in the community. Familiar instances
will in the clearest light describe the respect that is attached to
the name of Clergyman. It might be asked, is there any man
from the lowest to the highest, from the humblest to the
proudest, that feels any degradation or disgrace in remark-
ing, "my father, uncle, or brother, is a Clergyman."
What servant does not consider it a recommendation to say—
" I have lately lived with a Clergyman." A governess adver-
tises herself " the daughter of a Clergyman. Gentlemen and
Ladies specify their wishes to find " board and lodging in the
family of a Clergyman." And is there an instance to be found
of any person giving up his clerical station ? while men (.4" emi-
nence in every rank, and country Gentlemen of fortune, are en-
tering the church, for the respectability it affords them. That
which brings the character of a Clergyman so often in question
is, his want of hypocrisy ; there are no individuals more open,
honest, determined, and resolute than the Established Clergy.
In every affair of moment we always find some of them coming
forward on their own responsibility. This sometimes leads them
into difficulties; but it is a most wonderful support to their
character with the public ; and whatever abuse there may be
among base and interested individuals, there is no contempt of
the Clergy among the community at large. There are some
people so ignorant as to confound the pure metal with the
alloy ; a pretended religionist proves to be a villain, and these
wiseacres then abuse every religious aspirant, and religion her-
self. Well did Rochefacault say—" Hypocrisy is the homage
which vice pays to virtue," while it is among the free, bold,
open ministers of religion, who pretend to nothing superior to
their common Christian brethren, and have no need to pay this
homage, that the respect and honour, and even dignity of the
Christian minister is in our country to be found. A sick infidel
of rank was visited by a Clergyman. " Why did you suffer
such fellows to see you ?" said one of his own sort.—" Why
not, Tom," said the sick man, " you can't say that-they are
worse than others." " I hate them," said the friend, " be-
cause they pretend to be better." " You have no proof of any
such professions ; they pretend, indeed, to know better, and
we pretend to know better, and be better, than they ; but, let
us be honest, Tom ; you don't know who this man is ; but,
at a venture, do you think him half so bad as you are your-
self ?" The friend sneeringly answered, " he is is hypo-
crite !" " That he is not," replied the sick man—" if you
mean that he affects more religion than he has; he did not
come to me to talk idly ; he spoke a plain truth or two, as to
the positive uncertainty of this world and the chance at least of
another, which neither you nor I seemed disposed to contradict,
and this I know, Tom, of our philosophy, that if it does not
teach us more liberality of sentiment, we had better be without
it, go back to our old faith, and believe and tremble." After
the gentleman recovered, he sent to the Clergyman, reconciled
himself to the Church, and he was accustomed to say, that of
all bigoted, intolerant, and superstitious sects, he believed
there was none like the infidel.—There are many, whose rea-
sons for an abuse of the Clergy, if they had themselves good
principles, would be motives for praise. The vulgar error of
the day is very generally to be noticed in the exclaiming
against the Clergy being employed in civil affairs; the object
is to exclude them front the offices of Justices of the Peace,
&c. &c. Here the revolutionist and all the tribe of enviers and
rivals find a continual theme of abuse, while all argument and
all good principle, and all Christian authority are against them.
As for authority, look to history, and it will tell us, that before
we were contaminated by the interference of the Pope of Rome,
the priesthood of Britain were found occasionally in every of-
fice of the State, eligible to every station, and with good rea-
son, because learning was most prevalent among the Clergy.
As to good principle, if religion ought to be the life and soul
of Government, then the Ministers of a Christian State should
be seen actively concerned in the administration of it ; and
hence, not only every department of the State, but every fa-
mily of eminence, had in former times a Clergyman annexed
to it. Now, as to argument, let us consider what Chris-
tianity is. It makes no distinction of person—there is no
duty incumbent on the Clergy by which the laity are not
bound—on six days- of the week the Ministers of religion have
a deal of leisure, and by promoting the temporal, they in a
great degree promote the spiritual welfare of the people. Many
• Clergymen, after they have entered into holy orders, become
incapacitated from officiating in the Church from various
causes ; and there can be no reason why they should not serve
their King, their Country, and their God, in civil stations--
Education and learning give them advantages equal, if not su-
perior, to the community in general, and their station as Cler-
gymen affords them consistent means of improvement—and
lastly, though many other arguments might be stated—all arts
and sciences, and every kind of learning, has been continually
indebted to the study and personal exertions of those who are
Ministers of religion. We conceive the object of the Refor-
mers in wishing to get rid of them from all stations, is accord-
ing to the principle of the wolves making a truce with the sheep
on condition of the latter giving up their guardian dogs. We
could give a number of instances of the utility of the Clergy as
Magistrates, from the circumstance of the Rev. Sir HENRY
BATE DUDLEY, Bart. who, at Ely, has kept a riotous neigh-
bourhood in order, to the innumerable cases in Ireland;
but we have not space, nor is it necessary This is one of the
excellencies of the Church and State establishment, in all situ-
ations and affairs; and whenever it is so, there can be no cause
to•fear the influence of the Clergy amongst us, unless compe-
titors are afraid of superior intellect, or high or low rogues are
afraid of being exposed. If many a priest did not administer
justice in his own neighbourhood, would it be for the benefit of
the populace to go abroad for superior advantages of law ; and
after all, those offices, from which envy, hatred and malice,
anarchy, infidelity and sedition, wish to exclude them, are gra-
tuitously administered. The Clergy get nothing by all their
care and trouble, but the love, respect, and gratitude, of the
individuals whom they serve ; and as we are well assured very
few Clergymen get themselves enrolled in the Commission of
the Peace, but for the sake of serving their neighbours, so we
• trust that they will never yield to the cry of illiberality, into.
lerance, and injustice, to resign their stations, but that they
will continue to receive the support of the Go vernment, as they
are sure to have that of every honest man, in whose breast the
true principle of independence and equal right is to be found.

MARRIED.
At Edinburgh, on the 18th inst., Mr. John Croley, surgeon,
late in the Canadian North-West Company's service, to Helen.
eldest daughter of Mr. John Mein, surgeon, Pitt-street, Edin-
burgh.
At Glasgow, on the lGth inst., James Anderson, Esq. soli.
citor, Edinburgh, to Margaret, eldest daughter of Mr. Robert
Rowand, Ilutchesonton.