The Sun.
London, England, 1822-08-10 00:00:00

COMPETITION OF' PIPERS.

EDINBURGH, ,AUG. 7:---On Tuesday last, the
annual competition for the prizes given by the Highland So-
ciety of London, to the five best performers on the great High-
land bagpipe, was held in the Theatre Royal here. The num-
ber of pipers who came up to attend the competition was un-
usually great; no fewer than 30 qualified to compete, besides
several who had formerly gained prize pipes.
The performance began by a tune on the prize pipe; precisely
at 12 o'clock so as to interfere as little as possible with the
race, which the stewards had obligingly postponed an hour later
than usual. The house was crowded in every part. In the boxes
particularly there was a most brilliant assembly of our fair coun-
trywomen ; many of whom wore tartan scarfs, or other orna-
ments appropriate to the occasion. Some indeed were re-
marked in the full Highland costume of tartan robes and bon-
nets. When the curtain was raised the whole Competitors, pipers
and dancers, were seen arranged around the stage, and the
various chequers of the lively tartans worn by above sixty fine
Highlanders, Bin their full native dress, had a very pleasing el.
feet.. It must have been highly gratifying to the performers to
observe the clapping of hands and general applause with
they were received by such an audiefice, and certainly their
exertions at tlie competition shoved that this welcome had not
failed of its effect.
When the pipers had done playing, the Judges retiral
determine the prizes. Upon their return the decision of the_
several prizes was announced by their Preses, Sir John Sinclair,
as follows : _ _ _

The first, an elegant Pipe handsomely mounted, and adorned
with a flag bearing the national emblem of the thistle, and with
a silver plate, on which there has since been engraved the pro-
per inscription, with forty merks in money, tis Donald Mac ay,
piper to Ranald George Macdonald, Esq. of Clanranald, M.P.
The second prize, 60 merks, to John M`Kozie, piper to
Duncan Davidson, Esq., of Tullich.
The third, N merks, to Kenneth M4R., piper to the Hon.
James Sinclair.

The fourth, 45 merks, to Alexander Dewar, piper to Sir Neil
Menzies, of Menzies, Bart. _ _

The fifth, 40 merles, to John Smith, piper to the Hon. Col.
Grant, of Grant.
The extra prize of a brace of very. handsome Highland pis-
tols, afforded by the liberality oc Mrs. H. -Siddons, was voted
to Donald Seryingeour, piper to the centre regiment of Forfar,
shire Local Militia, who had formerly gained a second prize.
The prizes to the three competitors best dressed in the High_
land garb were voted—the first to James Macdonald • the
second to John Cameron ; and the third to Donald Macdonald.
all in the list of pipers.
Previous to delivering the prizes, Sir John Sinclair addressed
the audience in an elegant and appropriate speech; among other
things he observed, " It is with much pleasure that 1 have this
day witnessed another competition of Highland Pipers. It is a
species of public entertainment to which I have always been par-
. tial. It tends to preserve that martial spirit for which the Scottish
nation has so long been celebrated ; for there is no real Scotsman
who would not march to battle with more alacrity to the animat-
ing sound of the bagpipe than to that of any other warlike instru-
ment. The bagpipe also has been for ages the favourite instrument
of music in Scotland. There is, indeed, in the Chapel of lies-
lyn, the sculpture of a Cherub playing on a 'Highland bagpipe,
with a book spread lvfore him, proving that in a very ;emote
era the bagpipe was played, not by the ear alone, but to written
music. The chapel was erected by William Sinclair, Prize,:
of Orkney, as far back as the year 1446. The use of this in.
strument in Scotland, therefore, can be traced to a period:of
about four centuries, and it probably was of much greater anC-
.
quity."
The audience were, as usual, highly delighted with the
' Highland reels and strathspeys, introduced in the course .QC.
the performance,. in which the dancers greatly exerted then.-•-
selv.ai.

A little boy in the full Highland costume, with his pipe
under his arm, attracted some notice. Mr. Murray, of.a.t.
theatre, with his usual taste, had provided one of the silver
medals struck in honour of his Majesty's intended visit, and,:
attached it to a tartan ri'oband, which was presented by tte
Preses to the young Highlander,. as a mark of approbation ci.'•
his early zeal for the national music.

On the 2(.1 instant, the flood gates of the new
bason at Ostend ware carried away by a very high sea.
A young man, a journeyman ropemaker at
Gravesend, is claimant for the tide and large estates of the la:t,
Earl of MARCHMONT, to whom it is sAid he was great nephew..

BURGLARY.—Tharsday night, the house of,
Mr. Johnson, Snow's-fields, Walworth, was feloniously entered
and robbed of a considerable sum of money, and a great qua:.-.-
tity of linen and wearing apparel.
A SAILOR'S TaEAsutte..---AboUt the middle ol
last year a sailor, on the island of New Provi-
(knee, being much fatigued with walking, sat
down on 'the sea-shore, on what he conceived to
be a • large stone. After resting and sleeping
some time, he attempted to get up, but found hit,
s breethes stuck fast to ,his seat. After joining
one of his shipmates, he observed so strong, to
smell as to ask him where he had been ; and, the
other telling him the circumstance, he advised
him to go back, and bring away this stone; but
he demurred, and said it was more than he could
carry. "So much the better," replied his com-
panion, who honestly told him he suspected it to
he a large lump) of ambergrease, whiCh was a
very valuable article, and that he might make his
fortune by it. lie crossed the island with a
horse, and brought it away. It was first shown.
to a Jew, who did not offer him a tenth • part of
tts value. It soon became known, and the- Cap
tain of a merchantman being at the port, bought,
it, and 'brought it to England, and we believe
the house of Ellice, Inglis, and Co. had the
selling of it. It came into the custody of a Mr.
D. an eminent• druggist, and was sent over to the,
Continent a few months ago, when it yielded, at
186 s. per oz. 2,300/.

7~ t ~
i ~' i

'IIIIE LONDON JOURNALS.

~,. ~~

TATRAifTS FROM TIM DAILY MORNING PAPERS,
August 10, -1822.

[Ntw:.-rxmEs.]
This day.hisMi..rEsTY will embark at Green-
wich; to peoceeti on his voyage to Scotland; where
he is meagerly expected by a loyal and affectionate
people. As. the:tide will serve in the early pare
of the day, it is expected that his Majesty will
be on-hoard the Royal Yacht before ten o'clock.
The Lord-Mayor and the Companies of the City
of London will attend-the Royal progress down
the -River in their State Barges-; and there ;Is
scarcely. a boat or wherry-which is not engaged to
convey parties of Gentlemen and Ladies to witness
the embarkation, or join in the procession. If
the :weather, as it promises, should be Propi-
tious,. this will be one of the most pleasing
spectacles ever witnessed on the River Thames.
The tthigoificent.architectureof Greenwich Hos-
pital--the old Pensioners clad. in their best
-uniforms, and marked with the scars of Many
a glorinus fight—the crowds of spectators on,
the banks—the gay flotilla • on the bosom
of the River, crowded with beauty and loyalty—
the music, and the shouts, and the general anima.,
Lion of the scene, will altogether form one .of
those pictures which must afford delight'to 'any
philanthropic mind, bnt must be peculiarly grati-
fying to hint who is the great object of, general
interest,-onr beloved and. patriotic Sovereign.
The reception that his Majesty has to s expect in
his ancient and . loval kingdom of. Scotland will,
we are.sure, repay him .wellior the inconvenience
and fatigue of his voynge. We same time ago
took occasion to express what we knew to be a
very general ',feeling of anxiety in, all parts of
Scotland, lest, ill health or other, unavoidable
causes shoul4 prevent the King from visiting that
part of the-empire. In proportion to sack anxiety
whilst the event was uncertain, are the exultation
and joy 'now that the uncertainty! is_ removed.
In Scotland, as in all parts'of the empire, there
are Party divisions; but these, we doubt not, Will
vanish before the:presence of the Prince who unites
every thing that is amiable with every thing that is
dignified. We have noticed one or two articles
in one or two ill-disposed prints,. which have
faintly endeavoured to cast a' damp on the gene.-
ral. loyalty, or to turn it into ridicule ; but these
efforts are too contemptible, and too much out
of keeping with the general harmony and good
huniour, to produce any effect.. Kanydifference
should be ,observable between the conduct. of
Whigiand Tori e s they are culled) 'in 'Scot..:
lend,: we are persuaded the' former will lie the
more forward. to. 'testify the warmth' of their
loyalty; and to shew 'that their difference from
their neighbours on subordinate points' of con-
stirntionat piney rather tends to strengthen
than to impair their -attachment to a Conoitu-
tional King.

[II9R NG! POST.]
_ _

. The. piracies in the neighbour hood of the West
Indies and South America have again been
brought before-the- public by some-late- accounts
from thoie- parts, and the factious press has once
more.rung its :ichanges in praisw of the United
States' Navy, and very patriotically, 'of course,
abuse of onr: own. Upon the suhject of those
piracies,generally; or upon' the. propq means for
guttin .a stop to them, we do not intend' to enter
atp-resent. ' -Our opinion has already been given
or both.; and we ztre certain the nature. 'of the
gale- is such. as, combined with the
of is Majesty's- Ministers over the interests
of the `country, will speedily bring the whole
question to a; satisfactory. issue. A few obser-
vations, however; on collateral points seem ne-H
cessary; *in order to let the public fairly see
bow matters- .now stand. -1.11 the first -place, our
readers will recollectihat it was only at the very
clOse of the:SeSsion, the end of July, that any
part-ot the great mercantile body of the country,
so innth 'interested in the subject, had it sub-
mitted. to Parliament. .-w6 therefore think. -it
reasonable -to suppose- that they wPre not,
sufferers before- this period, or their corn-
plaints would'have been heard: Put what was
the' conducrof, Government in the meanwhile ?
So. early as March last, it had received ad vices of
some depredations having- be-en committed on our
shippin'g; and, accordingly, as far -back as five
Months ago immediate measures were taken' by ,
Ministers-to put down 'the- nuisance: It is true,
indeed' that in doing so they went through the
fOims which justice, as well AS courtesy, tO other
independent pOwers demanded—justice and cour-
tesy, which we mistake the essential characteristics
of our countrymen If they will not second- us
with saying, the very Weakness of those Powers
the more imperatively called for, at -our hands.
'Jail:those piracies been fsuffered to go on-with.
out-' any steps being- taken to-quash( them, no
doubt some '-shew' of blame would attach to Mi-
nisters;- but as the case 'actually • stand's, they
have attended to - our interests with' alacrity,-
that although no rude or rash course: has been.
pursued, they are, at-the very first moment that
our merchant 3 have sought redress, fully pre--
pared to grant, or- rather are granting it in the
most summary way. Verily, :if -it is on grounds
of.this sort that Faction purposes to calumniate
Government during the usual jubilee of cowardly
detraction, the -recess, 'we incline- ta think its
occupation's gone. .

[MORNING HERALD.]
Thearrivals from the Continent, yesterday and
th day-before, are not of much interest. The
Tiaris Papers contain einly. reports of proceedings
in the
.Deputies, of little concern- to 'English
readers; inethe tiresome details of the trial of
Berton- and his accomplices at Colmar. The ac-
counts frora'Spain 'are 'of some iMportance but
scanty, and of extremely' dnubtful credit. It is
Very difficult to.lortu any thing like a just • ide,a
dithe state of that kingdOtn----:-which certainly, at
this moment;,,:ertii*,broirglit to Crisis. The
Ministiy liistilYintomplete.` Three only of the
new nominees haveaCteptea office-=and one of
the-se; .!..ijoPez 'Banos, 'had not yet
reached, Madrid. It `appears, however, that a
-Arise c6lour is given to the reluctance ‘vhich some
Spaniards have shown to accept Ministerial office.

It is ascribed to their despair of ruling a popula-
tion so inflamed, districted, and revolutionary, as
the Spanish. But the true cause seems 'to be,
that the King of Spain has still near his person
advisers, who are. hostile to the Constitutional
order. The great struggle at present seems to be,
whether these secret and irresponsible advisers
shall be .emoved from the Palace. The King of
Spain manifests an inauspicious unwillingness to
separate himself from these men ; and if he persist
in retaining them about him in opposition to the
petitions from several classes of Spaniards—to the
desire of his Ministers, and, what is still more
important, of the permanent Deputation of the
Cortes,: he can hardly avoid a conflict more vio-
lent and more decisive than any that has hitherto
taken.place. King Ferdinand is now reduced to
such a situation that he has only the choice of
giving himself up frankly into the ban& of the
Cortes, and of a Ministry having the confidence
of that body, or else of the desperate, and, as we
think, hopeless experiment of a counter-revo-
lution.

[THE TIMES.]

Ourriaders-will see by ourteport of the pro-
ceedings at Durham,--(See. THE SUN of yester-
day)-7that Mr. Williams, of the Durham Chro-
' nicle, has been- (atter the Jury had retired for
several hours) found 'guilty, of ‘C a libel upon the
C 4 Clergy residing in and near the city of Durham
" and 'the suburbs thereof."—The English law
of libel stands alone amongst the institutions, of
a free-and enlightened community—we mean the
law of criminal prosecution for libel on public
bodies-and on politiCal characters. Individuals
in private life stand on far different ground: 'They
require to beprotected against private malice,
more especially when they-appeal by civil action to
ale judgment of their fellow-citizens, and 'put at
issue.tlie truth of the charge which they com-
plain of. We see no satisfactory reason for re-
fusing...them such a test- of their innocence and
integrity, or such a safeguard to their doiriestic
,tranquillity and enjoyments. Even in the case
of private' men,, an indictment for libel ought,
to be looked npon with extreme jealousy, as
.yielding by its result no test of principle,nor vin-
diFation of character : but with haw much more
serious suspicion ought we to consider the eagerness
ora public functionary ora public body to crush all
animadversions upon their acts, by the overwhelm-
ing weight of a criminal prosecution. The gist
of the libel with which Mr. Williams stood
charged op , this "occasion, ,against the clergy of
Durham,. was that it had a tendency “,to bring
the Church into conteMpt"—an effect which
could be• Produced no otherwise than by persuad-!
ing the country that .the Church was really con-
temptible. TO rebut such an accusation, the
clergy' neither attempt to set aside the facts.
stated by the newspaper, nor do they prove him
guilty of a falsehood in having asserted the last
sad mark of .respect and. sympathy towards
the broken-heartiid Queen of a -peoplers affec-
tions was omitted, or prohibited, by those who
had command over the Cathedral Church of
Durham. They go 'to work- with an instrument,
not of
.elucidation, but of vengeance. But is this

a becoming ground for the Church of England to
rest upon ? If the clergy are still unapprised of
so plain a truth, it is time they should be taught
that no slanders can disgrace—that no prosecu-
tion of puniShment or ,lander can redeem them,—
that if they take opinion, not blind power for
their support, they must stand, or fall by their
own acts, and not,by the'dictates of Judges to
Jurymen.