The Sun.
London, England, 1821-01-05 00:00:00

HOUSELESS POOR.

A Meeting of the General Committee took
place yesterday in the Poultry, for the purpose of
receiving a Report of .the arrangements made at
the London Workhouse.
, Some time since the General Committee, anticipating the
probable recurrence of severe weather,'appointed a Snh-Com-
mittee, with full powers to take the proper steps for opening.
nightly receptacles for the houseless poor, in order IA avoid
any delay when the necessity should arise for immediate'ac-
tion, feeling, no doubt, that in the conduct of this Charity;
prOmptitode was most essentially requisite, and that what it
was proper to ilo should he done quickly.
The meeting was very fully attendod and the proceedings
at the London Workhouse were unanimously approved. From
w.statement made by the Chairman of the-House Committee
(I). CAMPIIELL, ECII) it appeared that upwards of 100 per-
sons were sheltered on Wednesday night ; and from the regu-
litions laid down•(which are the result of repeated consulta-
tions during the whole of the summer) the Committee are
satisfied that none but the really houseless hare been or are
likely to be received under their care.

Dr. CONQUEST, who has again kindly consented to give his
assistance, stated to the Meeting, that amongst the many dig-
treSsed objects who on Wednesday night applied for admis-
sion, there was one man in the last stage of human soffering.-
The extreme rigour of the weather to which this unfortun-
ate being had been exposed, combined with the, want of food,
had reduced him to that state of exhaustion, that it Was the
decided opinion of Dr. C. when he examined hiM, that he
could not have survived another night, had there heels no
" Refuge for the Houseress."

The Committee were occupied in their interesting duty froM
one o'clock until four, and amongst other important arrange-
ments, it was resolved to open forthwith two other receptacles
in other parts of the town, Olson the same plan as that adopt-
ed at, the London ‘Vorkhouse. The Committee adhere to
their resolution of confining their attention' to the one object
of affording nightly shelter and sustenance to those who need
them, considering that any thing beyond must have the un-
avoidable tendency to inundate the metropolis with vagrants,
by attracting them from all parts of the kingdom, and recol-
lecting that many instanct•s occurred last winter of parish
officers in country places act natty sending their own poor to
London.to participate in the relief afforded by this Institution.
Several hew subscriptions were announced, and the. best
• pledge to the Public as to their appropriation is the known
activity and humanity of those to whom their bounty is en-
trusted.

Sir JoMC LturnocK presided. Mr. Alderman Bat Doss and
Sir C. Huwert were also present., and took an active part in
the deliberations of the Committee, and the zeal which ani-
mated the whole meeting was in the highest degree gratifying,.
A remarkable occurrence took place in the Asylum on Wed-
nesday night :—A man who had committed a felony in a dis-
tant part (Attie country fled to London, and a reward was of-
fered fur his apprehension. An individual who was ac.
qoainted with the circumstances, as well as with the person
of the delinquent, pursued him. The ill-gotten property was
soon dissipated by the thief, and the pursuer was not able to
attain his object so) speedily as he expected. Both were in a
state of destitution, and by a singular coincidence both sought
shelter, at the London Workhouse. The offender was of
course recognized, and as the Committee bave Police Officers
in constant attendance, was immediately taken into custody.
He was taken before the Lord Mayor yesterday morning,, who
directed him to be sent down to the place where the offence
was committed, and means will he taken to procure for the
other the reward to which he is entitled.

RID Phocuns—Some time ago, notice was given of the in-
vention of a new phoigh of peculiar qoalitire by a farmer near
Nluirkirk. Since that time Mr. John Finlayson, the inventor,
has made several trials of his plough upon almost every de-
scription of land, and being fully convinced of the great ad-
vantages which most result from its general use, gave a pub-
lie" exhibition of its operation along with a common iron
plough on the 2 Ist of last month, in the following ways :-
Ist, The ploughs proceeded to work on potatoe land, thickly
strewed with potatoe shows, and in the course of five bouts of
each, in a ridge of 130 yards, the common plough was Choaked
and thrown out 39 times, whereas the other went clear
throngh.-2d, They were tried on dry stubble land, strewed
with long bar, and covered over with loose mould ; the com-
mon plough in goidg a bout and a half of a ridge of 160 yards
was continually choked and thrown entirely out 9.9 times ; but
the new plough proceeded 4 bouts, and wag only stopped twice,
and that in consequence of a stone in the points.-3d, They
were tried on the rough moor, stubble-land,:stmdt he stoppages
of the cornrows one were obserVed to be itia similar ratio as
before. whereas the new one regularly cleared her way. The
spectators, therefore, who were.compo,ed of the most respec-
table and intelligent gentlemen and farmets in time surround-
ing country, were decidedly of ',pinion 't hat f';'lr. Finlayson's.
plough is a most happy invention ; as-from its self-cleaning
quality it is easier drawn, performs more work its agiven time,
and produces an equally good cut on every description of
land.—(Ediaburgh Courant, Jan. I;) •

The only New Year's Gift. that can suddenly
make either individuals or families happy, free,
and independent., is a Ticket or Share in the
New Year's Lottery, which begins 23d instant,
ntAn if they they should not obtain One of the
NINE Prizes of 21,0001. they have, at least,
double.the usual chance of obtaining those great
Sums of 21,0001. &c. and the lowest Prize is 121.
Money. TWELFTH NIGHT CHARACTERS aye to
be. had gratis at the Contractors' Offices (as
ztsual)) ; but it is necessary to state, they are
reserved entirely for their old Friends or new
Purchasers.

WESTMINSTER SESSIONS.

Yesterday morning the Sessions of the Peace
for the City and Liberty Of We-tminster com-
menced at the Gulidhhil, before Mr. COAT, the
Chairs-44.41.0.Aii u fuli. Bench of ?ilazistrate4.

SEDITIOUS LIBEL ON THE DUKE OP YORK.
Hanbp Price, a shabby-looking youngrtian, was indicted for
publishing a wicked,•seditions, atid i,fliminausry libel, of and'
concernitig his Royal Highness the Duke of Yolk. The Tkiiel
consisted in a hand-hill, copies of which were plentifully cir-
culated by the defendant amongst the crowds in and 'about St.
James's-square, during the residence of her Majesty -there'
pending her trial. It was to this etleot :
" Why, except for hire, is the Duke n Ynrlt huzzaed ? Is
it for his military exploits at the Heider ?—ls it because he
pocketed 10,0001. a year of the public money for visiting an
Aged parent, who had been so peculiarly kind to him it
because he has voted for the infamous Bill of Pains and'Pe-
tssgaimt the '.-t= •en, its all its stages ?" •

TVete were other questions of the like nature and tendert-
' 114,*(te•. sf• 1;111 concluded w;tb,:-• " Let, the. huzzecrs answer
these queries or hold their tongues ?".
Mr. Revteotass, in his address to the Jury for.the Crown,
observed, that it was fur them to declare whether the paper
before them Was such as an Englishman, in the exercise of
his most Undoubted right of discussing public matters, would,
be jnstified in sending forth to the world, or whether it was
not of such a nature, as not only to exceed the. limits of fair
discussion,' but to excite disaffection in' the minds of his
Majesty's subjects. The defendant, who was- a' bill-
sticker, was seen with a bag round his neck, distribut-
ing copies of this hand-bill in large numbers, and here he
(N1r.11.) Toeld observe, that persons of his class entertained
a notion thatthey, not being the authors co- printers of the
libel, were nut liable to the conseqeences of the law; but this
wasentirely a mistake, for they were the publishers of the libel,
and were emia4 oven to punishnientwith those who employed
them. The learned Counsel then read the libel; commenting
in forcible terms upon its several passa'es, and pointing out
the evil tendency that such a publication is likely to have.--
The applause with which the Royal Doke was greeted on bii
passage to and from the House of Lords, during the moment-
tons trial of her Majesty, did not proceed front the mouths of
hired persons, but was the spoetaneous ebullition of gene-
rous feeling with which Englishmen, when unbiassed
and unperverted by designing men, always greeted per-
',pus of distinguished merit like his Royal Flightless. They
knew the services he had rendered his country, they knew
that it was his admirable management of the Army which
had advanced its character aboVe eve' y ce her its the civilised
world, and had enabled it to achieve traise glorious victo-
ries which had led to the release of all Europe from a state.
of oppression and slavery. The people knew also the atten-
tion which his Royal Highness had devoted to the comforts
and interests of the wives and families of the soldiers, and in
cheering hint whenever he appeared they were itctnated only
by sentiments of admiration and of loyalty. Ile hoped it
would not, even at. this time of day, be thought unfashion-
able to speak of loyalty, for those were egregiously mistaken,
who fancied that notions of English freedom were not perfect-
ly reconcilable with the strongest, the most vivid feelings of
loyalty anti attachment to the constituted authorities of the
country. After some further observations, the Learned
Counsel called Furzmae tine otlicer,and two others, wino prov-
ed the distribution of the bills by the defendant. .
The libel was then put in and read. The defendant read a
written defence, and set cut by stating that he wits totally
unused to public speaking, and unacquainted even with the
bortneof Cotitts of Justice. Having been a long time out of
.employment. he'applied to Mr. lienbow, of the Strand, printer,
who enrpluved him to stick up placards. The first was one
rooting a paragraph front a Morning :Paper respecting the
alteett, in whieh it wax suiei site ought to be seerifireed, 4‘ we
care not whether' as a reartyt or a criminal ;" second giving
Lord Nelson's opinion of Italian witnesses, nd several others,
all upon tine subject of the Queen's trial, He read these
bills, and some of them were of the must inflammatory kiwi.
They'all bore the mole of Mr. lienhow as the printer, in
conspisoons characters.' For publishing. the last of them
before the one now the subject of charge, be was apprehend-
ed and taken before Mr. Minshull, the Magistrate, who did,
not hold him to hail, nor even warn him that he was doing
wrong. Thus lulled into security he scent on, unconscious
that he Vas comeeitting any offence until he was again appre-
hended. The name of Mr. Dernhow seas upon this and all the
other bills, bet in no one itorance had he (Mr. B.) been pro.-
scented. He then read the, libel; and defended the several
'assages, denying that there was any thing ill it calculated to
defame the public character of the Duke of York, or that
could he called " wicked, seditious, or inflammatory." He
trusted the Jury would place themselves as a shield between
hint and the wily sophistry and legal ingenuity that had been
exerted against him by the Counsel, whin, like the rest of the
profession, was employed to make right wrong,aud wrong right.
This prosecutiont he averred, was instituted by persons who
appeared to be endeavouring, on every occasion, to drag the
weaknesses and Vices of Royalty before the public, ,and who
were the worst enemies of Royalty. He contended, that the
bill contained no libel on tine Duke of York, but merely asked
a few plain questions, which might have been fairly replied
to. He wenid leave his case in the hands of the Jury, with
the firmest confidence that their verdict would be Not Guilty.
Mr. REyNoLDs was about to reply, when
_ .•• .

The defendant submitted, that the Learned CounSel had no
right attain to address the Jury, as he (defendant) had called
fl Witnesses.

The Confer decided, that he had the right of reply, and
Mr. REYNoLus addressed the Jury at considerable length.
The Jury retired for ',a' short-tirne;, and returned a Verdict
of Guilty.