The Sun.
London, England, 1824-03-25 00:00:00

" Great wits to madmen nearly are allied."

—He next propounds a string of questions, and calls upon
me, in the name of " the nautical world, to answer them."
This is assuming no small air of consequence on the part of Mr.
Campbell ; and truly 1 can see no good reason for obeying the
commands of such an imperious and self.important personage
as Mr. C. shews himself in this very instance to be ; and were
it not that others may consider me bound, and called on, to
show the " nautical world" that he is wrong--perhaps, inten-
tionally so—to answer some sinister views of his own, I should
not now think it worth while to attempt putting him right ;
especially as there are so many who know, and are ready to
attest, the correctness of my statement, and the fallaciousness
of his. The amount of my argument was simply this--and
I have had no reason to change my former opinion— that
vessels, of whatever draught of water, which could enter
Troon, could also, with equal facility at least, enter Ardrossan ;
where— . .

-- Yet there is hope, my brave seamen,
And shelter in that snug bay ;
And blest be the mind that formed its plan,
Shall future seamen say."
ride `` Wanderer in Ayrshire."
Let Mr. Campbell but stick to these points, and then, but not
till then, will the voice of the public declare him to be an im-
partial, disinterested, and unprejudiced writer. He very osten-
tatiously takes care to let us know that he has at his commaad
the
presume), anda n d
treportat otfhteh eiocelebrated f engineer, (Mr. Rennie, I
M. sloop Driver is
within his reach ? This, no doubt, is meant by way of showing
himself of to sonic advantage, and letting the world know of
the high official situation he holds, of which, but for this pomp-
ous announcement, we should, perhaps, have remained for
ever ignorant. 13ut I must now proceed to his queries—
and shall answer them precisely in the order in which they
are put :
Query 1. The soundings at the pier head, as taken under the
direction of a celebrated engineer, in the year 1813, at low water,
spring ebbs, were, upon a line bearing from the pier on Lam-
lash, as follows :
At the pier-head 16 feet, and onward the soundings progres-
sively increase : opposite the break-water, the soundings vary
from 26 to 26 feet ; and on the same line of bearing, at the dis-
tance of two miles, the regular soundings are about 20 fathoms ;
the bottom is sand and clay.
2. Strangers often run for Ardrossan harbour, in a gale,
without chart or pilot, and without danger. But no man of
common sense and prudence, would, from choice, in a gale of
wind, run his vessel down upon a lee shore, to which lie was a
stranger; and to propound such a question shows that Mr.
C. has very little knowledge of nautical matters of this de-
scription.
3. The depth of water inside of the pier of Ardrossan, is
about 20 feet, at full sea, neap tides.
4. The difference between spring and neap tides is 4 feet ge-
nerally ; but if Mr. Campbell had been as he stated, Vicially*
employed to survey the coast of Ayrshire, he ought to be com-
pletely in the knowledge of this fact.
5. The bottom inside of the pier, is sand and clay.
6. It is well known that on this coast, during strong gales
from the south and south-west, the waters do rise higher than
on ordinary occasions ;—but, that I stated the depth of water
at the pier of Ardrossan, at spring tides, on one of these " ex-
traordinary junctions of the elements in my favour," I deny.
On such occasions I have known the tide rise 13 feet in Ar-
drossan harbour !

7. A vessel drawing 12 feet water, can enter the harbour of
Ardrossan at all times of the tide, either with a leading or beat-
ing. wind.
8. With respect to H. M. sloop Driver, I can only say that
the commanding officer stated to a nautical friend of mine, who
was requested to carry the Driver into harbour, that her draught
of water was 16 feet !
9. With regard to vessels when inside the pier of Ardrossan
being safe with hemp cables, I can answer in the affirmative.
At the present time the Johns of Salt-coasts, of 250 tons burden,
is lying there safely moored with a hawser ; and I may here
notice, that the Industry of Saltcoasts, on the 7th February,
1022, parted from both her cables and anchors in Belfast Loch,
and came into Ardrossan harbour, where she lay in safety
without having either a cable or anchor on board !
10. I can very safely declare myself a disinterested writer—a
declaration which, I presume, is more than Mr. C. can make
in conscience, if 1 may be permitted to judge from his zeal in
this matter.
11 and 12. I am no farther interested in the success of Ar-
drosan harbour than every individual interested in nautical af-
fairs ought, and have a good right to be. In proof of which,
allow me to state, that although I reside in Saltcoats, I uni-
formly order the vessel with which I am connected to take
Ardrossan harbour, on account of its intrinsic superiority alone,
for the purpose of discharging timber, which we are afterwards
obliged to bring round to our wood-yard at Saltcoats, at con-
siderable expence!
13. Mr. C. asks, whether, like him, I can " solemnly declare
that I neither know nor care a fig about Lord Portland, Lord
Eglinton, or a Lord in Christendom ?" No individual has a
better right to answer this question in the affirmative than my-
self, though I trust I neither fear nor despise any man on ac-
count of his rank.
With respect to my name, which this " Cosmopolite" seems
to doubt being real, I can assure you, Mr. Editor, I have
borne it these sixty years, and 1 have no desire to withdraw it
from any of the statements I have made on the subject of Ar-
drossan harbour. I am not sure that Mr. H. Campbell feels
so well satisfied with his averments. I have now given an-
swers, though perhaps brief enough, to each and all of Mr.
Campbell's questions, without sophistry, truly and publicly,
and which may in some measure serve as a rule of practice for
the " nautical world" to act upon ;—and if followed, I make
no doubt they will be found generally correct. I do not ex-
pect, however, that they will have the tendency which, by his
letter, lie appears to expect, of bearing Mr. Campbell out in
his original statement, but the very reverse—namely, to prove
that all he has advanced in respect to Ardrossan is wholly
erroneous. Before concluding, Mr. Editor, permit me just to
allude to a remark of Mr. Campbell's in his first paper,
wherein he sets forth, " that all that could be done at Ardros-
san was effected;" and in the very next sentence he admits,
and very justly, " that Lord Eglinton died whilst following up
his plan to an intended extent of greater utility !" Now, Sir,
these intended improvements can be very easily effected, and,
when finished, (which it will require no great sum of money to
execute), will, I venture to say, render Ardrossan one of the
best tide-harbours in Britain : and in this opinion I am happy
to say lam borne out by' the most respectable authorities, in
rzpite of any thing that such writers as Arr. H. Campbell can
advance to riiz-cantrary.
I am, with respect, your obedient servant,
Saltcoats, March 1824. WILLIAM AULD.

• In a letter addressed by Mr. Campbell to the Editor of
the SUN, and inserted in that Paper of the 6th inst., alongst
with air. Auld's former letter to us, he states that in the MS.
of his -finit letter, he wrote not an 07ciai turrey—snd that the
error which had been commited by' the printers, in omitting
the word " not," was corrected in the following day's SUN,
under the head of errata.....4inaTort.

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

SUSSEX, HonsHA3i, MARCH 24.
CHARGE OF MURDER.

Esther Gorring was put to the bar, charged on the Coroner's
Inquisition with the wilful murder of Martha Ann Jewell, by
drowning her at East Grinstead, on the 14th of February last.
The prisoner, who had attained her fifteenth year since her
commitment, was a slight interesting girl, and appeared greatly
affected at her situation. -

Mr. COURTIIOPE stated the case for the prosecution in the
most candid and dispassionate manner, and suggested such
topics as were most favourable to the prisoner. He put it to
the Jury, whether the fatal event which they were assembled
to inquire into was not more probably the result of pure acci-
dent, than any wilful or malicious feeling which might have en-
tered the heart ofso younga personas the prisoner, who, beyond
all question, had always shewn the greatest affection for the
deceased. The parents of the deceased were not influenced hf
any unkind feeling towards the prisoner ; on the contrary, they
were most willing to suppose that her conduct was free front
moral blame. This prosecution was conducted at the instance
of the parish officers of East Grinstead, who had no other mo-
tive than to see justice fairly administered as well to the public
as to the prisoner.
The facts were simply these :—The prisoner, who was ser-
vant to the parents of the child, took it in her arms to the wash'
house, and while dipping a kettle into the copper to fill it to
wash another of the children, the child swayed back and fell
into the copper, which alarmed the prisoner so much that she
fell down senseless, and when recovered was in such a state
that she was afraid to tell her mistress what had become of the
child.

The LORD CHIEF BARON summed up the evidence w;th
geat feeling, suggesting that there was a total absence of any
malicious motive imputable to the prisoner. Indeed it
highly improbable that any such feeling could have been
boured. The probability was that the poor infant lost its
in the manner stated, and if the Jury were of this opinion, they
would say so by their verdict.
The Jury immediately found the prisoner Not Guilty.
Some humane persons present kindly offered to take care sdr
and provide for her.

YORK ASSIZES, YORK, MAnex 2i.
Mr. Justice BAYLEY and Mr. Justice HOLROYD arrived
here at a late hour yesterday evening, the extreme pressure of
business at Lincoln having prevented them from reaching this
city on Saturday last, the day on which they had been expected
to arrive. After attending divine service in the cathedral, Mr.
Justice Bayley proceeded to try causes in the city of York and
Mr. Justice Holroyd opened the Commission and charged the
Grand Jury for the county with the usual form.
Mr. Justice Hor.noYD tried one person in the Crown Court:
charged under Lord Ellenborough's Act with cutting and
maiming with intent to kill. The case was stopped by the
Learned Judge as soon as the evidence for the prosecution was
gone through, it being his opinion that the evidence did not
sufficiently support the indictment.
The calendar is exceedingly heavy, there being 78 person*
for trial, a great proportion of whom have been committed for
capital charges. On the Civil Side about 100 persons hoe
been already set down for trial, and it is generally supposed
that a mach greater number would have been entered if doubt
had not existed as to the probability of Mr. Scarlett's attendance.
The Learned Gentleman was much indisposed at Lancaster,
and on the last day of the proceedings there he was not able to
appear in Court. lie is now sufficiently recovered to resume
his professional duties at York.

ExEctmori.--On Monday morning, James
Clover was executed at Penenden Heath, pursuant to his sen-
tence on Friday last, for the barbarous murder of Elizabeth
Marsh, at Sholden, near Deal. From the time of his con-
demnation, Clover conducted himself with great. propriety,
and evinced much firmness at the scaffold : after the rope
was placed round his neck, he acknowledged the justice
of his sentence, and confessed that he committed the hor-
rid deed. He said " that he did not know whether he was
going to Hell or to Heaven, but hoped his fate would be a
warning to others ;" he died without much apparent suffer-
ing. The following is the confession made by the prisoner, on
the morning of execution, to the Rev. Chaplain of the gaol
" The robbery was proposed on the preceding Thursday by
Stephen Shelvey. Myself and Joseph Shelvey agreed to under-
take it, and accordingly, on the night of the ensuing Sunday,
about 11 o'clock, we left Stephen Shelvey's house. I had then
made up my mind to murder the old woman, but had not com-
municated my intention to my companion. My motive for
determining on the murder was a belief that we showd
find a large property in Bank-notes, and tkat some of these
being marked might lead to our dectection. To prevent this. ,
resolved on murder, as I thought then no one could identify the
property. On breaking open the house, I entered first, and wag
followed by Joseph Shelvey with a candle. I immediately pro-
ceeded towards the old woman's room, who I found sitting UP
in her bed, and calling to know what was the matter. Without
speaking a word. I struck her a most violent blow on the
head with the road-bat, but she did not fall till after I had again
struck her, when she fell backwards, and the blood streamed
out of her mouth and nose. J. Shelvey, who was standing on
the stair-head, and must have seen the blows, then entered tha
room, which we commenced searching. Shortly after, I thought
I heard the woman breathe, and I therefore again hit her on
the temple with the road-bat ; after that all was silent. 00
the Monday morning I acquainted Stephen Shelvey with what
I had done ; he wanted me to go back and fetch away the
coals, which I was deterred from doing on account of the afflur
being known." The prisoner also gave a list of 70 burglaries.
robberies, and other Offences in which he had been concerned
since 1819, but principally in the years 1823 and 1824. Not-
withstanding the unfavourableness of the morning, a consider-
able number of persons, among whom were many females,
attended the execution. After the body had hung the usual
time, it was cut down, and delivered to Mr. Whatmati,
surgeon to the county gaol, to be anatomized according to 10-

SUlClDE.—Tuesday afternoon an Inquest Was
held in the Board Room of St. Olave's Workhouse, on the
body of a female named Germain, aged 63 years. From the
evidence it appeared that deceased was a maiden lady, con-
nected with very opulent relations, and having a nepha"ri
in the navy. It was her misfortune to become reduced, and
latterly was dependent upon her relatives for support
they at length withdrew their bounty, and she sunk into
a state of the most abject distress, but possessed too much
pride to complain. On Saturday morning her room door
was forced, when she was found suspended from the tester
of the bed. In her room were found two papers, in the fal-
lowing terms :—" P--11, I never will forgive, nor her two coin;
panions, their tongues are the stings of adders. Vengeance will
shower down in due season ;my desire is, that F—h sever
enter my room, or see my body when dead. I (lie in enmity.
—What miserable remnant of property remains, let Mrs:
Leaky have. I cannot live much longer ; 'tis hard to starve
my heart is sunk within me, never to rise again. Pray see
Airs. Leaky paid ; she has been a good friend to me; I should
be sorry to my heart if she lost by me ; I know she wants i; ;
ease my soul by paying her." Verdict—lnsanity.

COAL-MARKET, MAncli 24.
Ships at Market. Ships sold Prim:.
44} Newcastle . -35 i -31 s Od to 4010
15 Sunderland - - 13} -31 s 6d to 405.94
14 Scotch Coal . - 1 - -s Od to 36ita,
1 Culm - - . 1 • —s Od to 375 0"