The Sun.
London, England, 1824-04-22 00:00:00

HADDON PARK ANNUAL HUNT, BUCKS.

EASTER TUESDAY.
Hunters' Plate of 50/. by Subscription of 5 sov. each, and the
remainder in specie. Heats, two miles.
Major Honeyman's Spindle - - -... 1 2 1
Mr. L. Bouverie's Rosa - - - - 2 4
Mr. Garth's ch. g. - - . - - 4 3 3
Mr. Hudson's Brush - - - - 3 1 4
Mr. Hobert's Charm - - - - 5 dr
Capt. Warren's Magic - . - - - 6dr
Some famous racing ; Brush fell lame in running the third
heat, when backed at even to win the Plate.
The Half-bred Stakes of 7 sov. each, with 15 added ; seven
Subscribers or no race..
Mr. Braithwaite's Tulip -
Captain Gill's Emily - - - . - - 2
Mr. Hudson's hr. tn. ' - - - - 3
Three only were placed—a good race.

HUNTING.
Noftwicit, APRIL 21.—Last week about fifty _Gentlemen
dined together at the Norfolk Hotel to celebrate the conclusion.
of the season.—Edward Lombe Esq. presided, with William
Gwynn, Esq., as Vice-President, m the .room of" Edward
Dewing, Esq., who was prevented from attending by indispo-
sition. The utmost harmony prevailed, and this convivial.
meeting; of the friends to the field sports was enlivened by many
excellent songs, descriptive and in praise of the pleasures of
the chase.
BERRY, APRIL 21.—0 n Monday week, a boxed hare was
turned out at Royland Hall, before the hariers of It. Cart.
wright, Esq., and after a burst of 40 minutes was killed in Mr.
Baker's orchard, at Winfarthing. "After_which, the Gentle-
men of the hunt dined together at the Nag's Head'lnn,
liar-
ling, where an excellent dinner was provided, and the greatest
harmony and conviviality prevailed throughout the evening.

AUSTRIAN LOAN NEGOCIATED BY MR. M. M.
ROTHSCHILD IN LONDON.—The half-yearly Di-
Wend on the said Loan, falling due on Saturday,
the Ist of May, will be paid on that and every
succeeding day (Sunday exCepte-d), between the
hours of ten anti two. • It is requested that the
Dividend warrants, with a list thereof in nume-
rical order, may. be left, if possible, on the / Ith
instant, for the purpose of being examined.—New
Court, April 1, 18/4.- •
SUSPENSION-BRIDGE OVER THE THAMES.—Yes-
terday a general meeting of those interested in the project for
erecting an iron bridge on the suspension principle over the
Thames, was held at the City of London Tavern. Lord Mort-
_LE v was called to the chair. Mr. CutsitoLst, the solicitor
and secretary to the plan, stated the progress that had beat
made with the Bill in the House of Commons on the sub-
ject. It was necessary, before further progress could be
made, that four-fifths of the subscription-money should be
obtained. Those who thought well of the plan would. there-
fore so.e the necessity of filling the list as soon as possi-
ble. Petitions had been presented' against it by the .water-
men of the River, and some other parties ; but provisions
would be made in the Bill to give them compensation for
any loss they might sustain, and therefore their ground -of
opposition would be done away with. A petition had been pre-
sented against the plan by the Corporation of the cffy of London ;
but this opposition was made rather with a view to enable the •
corporate officers to watch the progress of the bill, and protect
their particular interests, than to give any serious obstructim. '
Whilst on -one hand some bad petitioned against the bill, others
who held property in the neighbourhood, and who conceived it
would be improved by the execution of the measure, were pre-
paring to petition in its favour. The Seer.::Ary then read very
extensive and minute details, from which it appeared that the
expence of purchasing property and indemnifying the owners
of land necessary for the approaches to the bridge, was 30,000/.
The estimated expence of completing the bridge was 392,000/.
It was estimated that there would be one-tifth of the traffic on
the intended bridge that there is at present over London-bridge,
and that the gross amount of revenue produced would he 43,0001.;
out of which sum 24801. would be requisite for the expences ;
and that the net proceeds would be 40,720/. per annum. There
were to be three spans of 000 feet each, and two side spans of
200 feet each. The total extent of the suspended bridge would
be 2,400 feet, including the towers. The whole, with the
approaches, would be 3,300 feet, or little more titan half a
mile. The height of the bridge above high-water-mark
would be 70 feet, and 715
,feet u the centre. • This height
would allow ships of 200 tons to pass without. striking their
top-gallant masts, and ships of 300 or 400 •tons to pass with
main.top-gallant-tnasts down. With respect to the durability
of the bridge, it was considered, with the exception of the
timber, it might be deemed au imperishable structure. The
probable time of its completion would be about 18 months after
the date of the contract. After some discussion, in which Mr.
Smith and Mr. Webb Hall opposed'the ptoject, and Captain
Brown, the projector, and Dr. Styles, supported it, the report
of the Committee was carried by a great majority. Thanks
were then voted to the Chairman, and the meeting bruit e up.,
11 •
DREADFUL FIRE AT DEPTIO '
a•illS morn-
ing, about 1 o'clock, the town and neighbourhood-
of Deptford was thrown into great consternation'
by a sudden burst of flames from the extensive
premises of Mr. Mootte, timber merchant,, near
the Black Horse, ou the Lower-road, which its
an instant communicated to some stacks of hay,
from thence to several huge piles of deals, and in
less then 10. minutes the flames extended over.
the whole of the yard, communicating to a
long range of sheds and stabling, in which
were three cart horses, who, such was the
rapidity of the devouring element, could -not
be rescued, anal were consumed. The whole
of the piles of timber .were in flames, and
the atmosphere for several miles was illuminated
by the conflagration. Every effort was made to
save some stacks of mahogany,• but the attempt
was fruitless, and the entire stock of the yard,
with all the surrounding
.out-houses, were re.
duced to ashes. The dwelling-house, which is
not in the yard, escaped:'---We are happy to, hear
that no lives were lost. As. yet it is not known
how the disaster originated, but it is supposed to
be the work of an incendiary. ."
DISTURBANCE AND ALARM OF E IN WHITE.
ytois-sTity PRISON.-Qn Saturday Morning,
about two o'clock, some refractory characters in.
the ward No. 6, of the Middlesex side, ex-
cited the greatest alarm throughout the Prison
by setting fire to a heap of straw, which-they
had taken from their beds, and into which
they had thrown some quantities of gunpowder,
in the passage leading to one'of, the bed wards.
The flames burst through the windows with great
violence, and the peaceable inmates of the bed
'ward had no means of escaping but by rushing
through the flames. From the slender materials
of combustibility in the prison, the ravages could
not have been rapid ; several windows were,
however injured, and one completely blown out
by the explosion. Mr. SPENDER, the GOvernor,
with the different officers, immediately repaired,
, to the spot ; and the prison engine,
of great
power, was brought out.. In a short time all, oce
• casion of alarM subsided. -The general terror,
, however:produced was inconceivable.,

THE LATE SIR. G. COLLIER,
AND MR. -TAMES'S NAVAL HISTORY.

Mr. TizObtAs COLLIER, brother of tha distin-
guished Officer whose melancholy death is so
fresh iu public recollection, has 'written a long
letter to the Editor of an Evening Paper, in an-
swer to Mr. JAMES'S statement respecting the
escape of- the American ship Constitution from
the Leander, and two other British frigates, dar-
ing the late war. Mr. COLLIER observes—
The American ships cut their cables and put to sea from the
roads of Porto Praya, on.observing-the British force ; imme-
diately on which the signal from the Leander was made to chase.
—The weather was so thick as to shew the enemy whips very
indistinctly, which, combined with Sir George Collier's first
impression of their force, satisfied him that the three ships seen
were American frigates, and upon dais impression he acted.--
1 am justified in this observation by the assertions of such of
the officers of the Leander as 1 have had the means of referring
to ; who have also added, that this was the full belief of them-
selves at the time, and of all on board that ship.
I would, in charity, hope that Mr. James, in ignorance, and
not with design of mia-statement, represents the signal made
by the Leander, fur tacking-, as intended by Sir George Collier
to discontinue the chars of the large ship to the eastward, which
afterwards proved to be the Constitution, for the mere purpose
of engaging the whole British force, in the unnecessary duty of
capturing a much smaller ship.
The signal ordered by Sir (leorge Collier (and my Utformatien
is not merely from his public letter, but also front Lietit. Rich-
mond, then on board the Leander, and now at my side) was for
the Acasta alone to tack ; and for the very good reasea of
enabling the Acasta to close with one of the ships to windward ;
but the 3litishipman, a Mr. Morrison (I think it proper to give
names), whose duty it was to make the signal, did, by mistake,
hoist the general signal ; when Sir George Collier, some time
after, olaserving the Newcastle had tacked, and expressing his
great surprise, it was reported to him a mistake had been made
by the signal officer, in hoisting the general signal to tack, in-
stead of the- Acasta's only. In remedy of this, Sir George
Collier immediately ordered the optional signal, a signal esta-
bli..4hed in the squadron, to be made to the Newcastle, which
left her to use her discretion, she being advanced three or four
miles, and in consequence best able to judge whether or not
.she had any prospect of keeping sight of the enemy. The
optional signal, it afterwards appeared, from the thickness of
the weather, could not be made out by the Newcastle. Thus
it will appear the orders of Sir George Collier were clear and
distinct, although, by accident, the signal was incorrectly
made; and Mr. James does not venture to say the Newcastle
had any hopes of getting up with the Constitution, but con-
fines himself to the Acasta, had she not been drawn off by
signal.
The motive for the Leander tacking, as Lieuterant Richmond
states, was in the full persuasion that the two ships, of the enemy
were frigates, and iset smaller ships ; for I have the authority
of Capt. Nl'Dougall and Lieut. hichrnund, who were in the
Leander, to declare that, from the situation in which she Was,
and the haziat se of the weather, all on board the Leaudcr at the
time believed the ships seen were frigates, however they may
have appeared to the Acasta, which ship was nearer to them.
Mr. COLLIEIt then gives an extract front the
Acasta's. log, to shew that the Constitution
escaped, owing to the thickness of the weather,
and being too far to windward." -The letter
thus concludes :
I have thus, I think, shewn, that in all I have stated, I have
authority that fully justifies use, whereas in all :air. Jatnes haa
stated, by his own confession he is without any authority what-
ever. let he did nut hesitate in making the most slanderous
remarke on the conduct of my brother, and the foulea: insinua-
tions against his professional character, although excusing him-
self in the observation " that being a landsman," he was likely
to err, and apologizing after my brother's death, when his apo-
logy was worthless.
I will add only, that had Sir George Collier felt any back-
wardness in meeting the Constitution, he never would have used
every induatmtnt is his power to lead her out of Boston to meet
the Leander singly, by proposing even to reduce the strength
of his ship, if Captain Stewart would, upon his honour, declare
the-Constitution mounted fewer guns than the Leander. Had
the two ships met, which Captain Fead and Lieut. Richmond
told me was not only hoped, but expected, if I ant to credit
these officers, although .Mr. James, "a landsman," expresses
so many apprehensions of the result of any such Meeting, the
officers and seamen-of the Leander were perfectly fenrless of she
consequences.
My broth er's valttabl e life has been the sacrifice of Mr. James's
slander, and commeats more offeusive to an honourable and sen-
sitive mind, upon coat:wet of which Mr. James proleases
self incapable of judging, language could sc-iirzely furnish ; and
I think I have fully shewn that such comments could not have
been directed where they less applied.
It has, indeed, been alleged in excuse by Mr. James, that Sir
George Collier exhibited symptoms of disordered mind at %her.
periods of his life, and that his friends could have proved thik,
had they been so disposed. I beg most distinctly to add, to the pub- •
lic testimony already borne by Lieut. Richmond to the contrary-
of these insinuations, that this statement at entirely devoid of
truth, and that the wanton and slanderous comMents upon the
professional character and honour of my lamented brother, were
the sole and entire cause of his melancholy fate.
I sun, Sir,
Your very obedient Servant,
THO :11A S COLLIER.
Fitzroy-street, April 20, 1824.