The Sun.
London, England, 1824-04-21 00:00:00

WOOLWICH, APRIL 20.

There . are rotir large hulks now lying off otir
Dock-yard, filled with the convicts that were removed some-
time ago frorn the Penitentiary, 'Milbank; and siace their
arrival, they have all experienced a great improvement in.
health. Forty 'of the male. convicts are now employed
evLry day working in the Dock-yard, along with numerous
o'her convicts, who have been serving out their time in
the old. hulks. They are all. well fed, and-look healthy
and robust. The work in the yard, which consists in the
removal of timber, cables-, rubbish, 4c. ceases- every even-
ing at five.. o'clock. After that the men are sent on board
where-many, of them employ themselves in working at
any mechanical trade to which they !night have been brought
tip. Besides food and'clothing, each male convict is allowed
one shilling- and sixpe.nce a week, sixpence of which is given
at once, and. the remaining shilling per week is laid by to
accumulate into a 'sum, which is. to be given to each when
the period of his sentence expires, so that he may be ena-
bled to purchase new clothes, ar:d turn hiniself to. industrious
habits. The female convicts from Alillbank, to .whore. is now
applied.the appellation of 7'hc.Pair Periftqn4, amount toabout.
rout or five hundred. They occupy two of the each hav-
ing two petty officers on beard, and are under the Management
of their feraale keepers. If one, hoWever, can jitilie from the
Manners aryl cop ver.sation -or those huiieg, it would not. appear-
as if 46-J.:great feeling of Penitence preiails ambrig,them. Be-
sides
.tliose.who,.are allowed; at different.hours of the day, to
walk on the upper decksi •clustcrs of them are Constantly-seen
at the, different: portholes -;" and -not- a'. boat- or • a „vessel
.-dasses_ alt3ng -.that is.: not asSairledby them with all.manner of
badirl:age, .tuld,;aometimes in- language fir front modest or.
delit-ate„;:tamatsArili -vices may be heard at once •tlirow-
ing!otit jests- upon surh, boatmen,- sailors, •-or pax sengqrs, .as
happen tl)
.enciugh:to .he within the reach Of
their tofv;ties: To the great joy. of tha• 'different Officers
lelonging tb the 'dock-yard, none. of -them-. are allowed to
come ms Sifor'W"-They seem however, quite pleased with' their
-present- altered' situation; for it. is 'to then! a S.(nt- f f ju-
brim to be-IT-n:4O from the solitary walls of -AI illbank, to a
place Where: they breathe fresh air, are Well fed, seethe tight of
the.sUn,'•and the busy world moving before them. 0-6 their first
•arrival -.here'they Were rather !ominous ; souse of the Most
robust -ariiong the. damsels thought fit to settle.• their private
disputes' by pugilistic .contests„ and even turned their fistic
weapons against the officers who interfered to- preserire peace
and gent' order among them.. How lung. they are likely to
remaln• here is quite tincertain,-,The two new docks, or rather
slips, 'Whin' Were bEgtin about. two or. three years ago, are now
completely finiShed, with 'the exception or -flood-gat;es, which
are not yet put up: Their are.the completest works of the kind
that ever were Const meted, avid in each of them a sit pof the largest
size may be build.--The sloping bottoms, resting on great piles,
and formed of' planks and stones of enormous size, placed tra-
versely in alternate rows, are ofuncommon solidity, and
the sides are constructed of vast, masses of Scotch -granite.—
They are- to be covered by roofs resting on massive piles. The
practice of 1- 'ring in this Way all, the dry docks Where ships
are iu, ,iiding fir loy, become general in the King's_ yards..Theyare
of great:Li:4e io protecting the. timber from the effects of the wea-
ther, as, well as afflirding shelter to the workmen. In the dock
where the Nelion was built, the workmen are now making con-
riderabk progress. in the. construction of a large tiff:gun ship,
to be called ths-Vhuntieren. There is, no commissioner now
attached to this 'dock-y.aFd, 'and consequently so much expellee
is saVed' to the Govertiment.--(Morni/w Paper.)

Ma. BEAUMONT, M.P.

[We are indO)ted to an:ol4iging Correspondent
in Northumberland for the following;]

GRAND DINNER

Givgt by T. IV. BEAUMONT, E-9: M.P., to the OFFL.
CEBS of the W. R. N. L. MILITIA, at the Black

Inn, Ilexbarn.

Early in the afternoon of Thursday last, the music of the
merry bells of Ilexham gave note-of preparation for joy and
festivity. At about four o'clock, Thomas Wentworth Beau-
mont, Esq. 111. P., drove up in hiscbariot and four to the White
Hart Inn, in that town, amid the greetings of the inhabitants.
The Hon.. Gentleman, intending to gi,;re a dinner to the Officers
of the Western Regiment of Northumberland Local Militia,
lately under his command, had fixed upon this day for the
ceremony; and great preparations were accordingly made for
'that purpose at the Black Bull Inn. At six o'clock, the Offi-
`cers of the Regiment (21 in number) sat down to a sumptuous-
entertainment. Every thing-delicate and in season was pre-
sented, and Mr. Beaumont had, with great liberality, sent a
supply of the finest French wines, including champaigne, &c.,
from the cellars of his mansion at Bywell. The military band
of the regiment attended in the ante-room, and, by the per-
formance of choice pieces of music, contributed essentially to
'easet°lrnPany. After the cloth was with-
drawn, given by the Chairman (Mr.
dtirtaewenn,tetrhtaeifuotnneonwthoigf the
BxanatoxT).:—

" The Ring, with three times three"--drank with enthu-

siasm. - .
" The Duke of York and the Army."
" The Duke of Clarence and the Navy."
" The Duke of Northumberland, the Lord Lieutenant of the
County."

" Prosperity.to the County of Northumberland."
Lieutenant-Colonel Cann then rose, and in a neat speech
proposed the 'health of the lion. Chairman ; expressing, both
on his own part and on the part of his brother officers, the deep
.regret which they all felt that he had thought it proper to resign
his commission as Lieut.-Colonel Commandant of the Western
Regiment of Northumberland Local Militia.
The toast wias drank amid loud cheering and long continued
applause. As soon as silence was obtained, Mr. BEATTItroxi.
rose, and addressed the company to the following effect :
" Gentlemen,—You will readily suppose that I find myself
at this moment in a situation of considerable embarrassment
—an embarrassment not arising from my inability to ex-
press in adequate terms my gratitude for the very flattering
.manner in which my health has been drank by you ; nor
does -it proceed from what would be a graver cause for it
—my having from private motives and feelings absented
myself, for a time, from my public duties in Parliament.—
No, it is created by what I can scarcely indeed state with
gravity,---(a derisory smile *as here strongly depicted in
the speaker's countenance)—from my being ignorant whe-
ther you consider that 1 am now addressing you in the full
and undisturbed possession of my intellects, or during a
mere lucid interval ! Ludicrous as it appears to me to ima-
gine that those who have to-day favoured me with their corn-
pany should entertain for a moment such an opinion, re.
ports of my having been under a sort of insanity—under
mental delusion, as it werehave 'been so industriously circu-
lated, and from quarters usually considered of-respectable
authority, that I cannot help saying I have a right to
apprehend that most of yOu, in all probability, at some
time or other, if not -now, have entertained such an opi-
nion. My _presence among
from
this day has, I hope, done
much to dispel such an idea from your minds; but should-any
particle (. suspicion still remain in any 0ne,.1 think 1 can re-
move it by observing that those who have been most industri-
ous in giving currency to this report never surmised for an in-
stant the bare possibility of such a thing, until I had left their
I house. I had •been in daily intercourse with them for some
time without the least hint having been given-of it.to any one !
If this is not sufficient, there is a fact which must carry convic-
tion to every one, how entirely false, and without the shadow
even of foundation, such a report-has always been. It is this„
that up to ten days liner my departure from a house, which I
shall not name, I know from a letter received by one of my
own fainily, that it was the• wish of those persons that matters
should be amicably arranged. And, in point of fact, an over-
ture was, made to. roe shortly after my depariure from that
houSe (through a person, who, if required; will not hesitate to
come forward and say so), for that purpose. Where, then, let
me ask, is the shadbw of a probability, that Mose persons con-
sidered me to be insane, or labouring under mental delusion ?"
—(Great applanse.)
any way
a rec aelnhtidti
• " You must excuse me—indeed I sin quite sure that the
1 good sense and honourable feelings of every gentleman pre-
sent will convince him that I ought- to abstain from entering
rnagn
safocrtiotnh.e girnatgeoaftiirosnt
oinftaontyh epedrestoanil:4B—ctiorrioinsi
curiosity
place, whatever example has been set me to the contrary, I
shall avoid as .nuch as possible stating any thing to the preju-
dice of another in his absence ; and in the next place it is. a
matter of •so, delicate a character as not to he a proper subject of
conversation at a meeting assembled as- this is for a convivial
object. I shall therefore wave the subject altogether, and pro-
ceed to express my acknowledgments with the most cordial
sentiments of gratitude and sincerity for the very kind and flat-
tering manner in which my health has been received by you.
I regret-much- that have found it necessary to resign my
commission ; but circumstances, which I explained to my friend
on my.right hand (Lieut.-Colonel Carr), compelled me to it.
And what has since transpired has given me no cause to re-
pent of that step, with whatever feelings of regret, on account
of our separation, it has been accompanied. I indulge the
hope, however, that though we shall meet no more as brother-
officers, yet that we shall always meet as friends.
This speech, which was delivered with great ability, was
listened to with extreme attention; bursts of applause fre-
quently issued during its delivery :—BUt on its termination the
acclamation that followed, seemed to shew that thehornage
offered the worthy President was the genuine offspring of the
heart.
The Chairman having given the health of the Right lion.
Thomas Wallace tthe new -Commandant of the Regiment),
which was followed. by several appropriate toasts, Major
Richmond rose., and in.neat and expressiye terms proposed the
health of_ theltlembers for. the County. It was received with
great'satisfaction, and drank accordingly.
The Hon. President Tose to return thanks onbeltalf of Mr.
Brandling and himself, and requeisted that the gentlemen.
would' not believe any reports of his intending to withdraw*,
• himself., from the representatiOn of the county. He had, it
was true, for a short time, entertained such a. thought, _but
he was fiappy he had abandoried it. T- All that he had-seen
since lie 'gave up, that idea, bad given him the most flattering
assurance that he had been right in his determination to keep
his seat; and he would. now declare 'that at the next general
election, no Matter what strength of opposition might be ar-
rayed against him...-thoiegh the hostile feelings of all parties
might he drawn intOafoemr- and directed againt himseff—lie
should spend the last sixpence of his property rather than leave
a man unpolled in the county of Northumberland ! Mr. B.
expressed his intention of resuming his seat in the House of
Commons immediately after Easter; and by a close attendance
to his Parliamentary duties endeaVour to compensate for the
loss of that time which had been suffered to slip away.—(Great
applaase,)
Mr. Beaumont discharged the duties of the Chair with great
good humour, urbanity, and talent. He was in excellent
health and spirits ; and if the misrepresentations (for it
would be idle to affect our ignorance of them) which some-
how have so strangely obtained in regard to a certain affair,
(delicately alluded. to by the flonourable Gentleman himself
in his speech), had created in the minds of any one a bias
to his prejudice, we do say that the very able manner in which
he acquitted himself as President,- in the course- of a long
and. convivial evening, afforded the moSt convincing and irre-
fragable proof of the baseness of the calumny. The officers
dtclare that no individual could display more complete effi-
ciency of manner, or make a more favourable impression upon
his friends, than did the Hon. Gentleman (Mr. B.) upon the
occasion alluded to.
It is hardly necessary to add, that the evening was spent in
the most agreeable and hilarous manner, and that it was a late
hour before the party broke up, everyone of whom was loud in
expressing his unmixed satisfaction at the interesting amid truly
pleasant occurrences of the day.