Star.
London, England, 1809-08-25 00:00:00

NAVAL REPORTS.

• We have received several Reports of the Commis-
sioners of Naval Revision, printed by an order of the
House of Commons, dated April 11, 1809, from
which we propose to make some selections from time
to time.

The Ninth Report is on the subject of the Trans-
port‘Office. Under that branch of the Office con-
fleeted:with the provision for the prisoners of war, it
is stated, i, that at the end of March, 1807, the num-
ber of prisoners in Great Britain stood as follows ;
trench ' - - - 23,699
•- • Spanish - . - - 2,937
• Dutch - - 2
Izt the West Indies, at Malta, and Halifax :
• Frew* • -, - - - - 2,940
- - - 815
• none.

Sp,nish

DWtch

. , ~
..,,

Total 30,295
Of these 11,000 were distributed in 21 prison-ships
at Plymouth, Portsmouth, and Chatham.
The Commissioners then proceed to,state the com-
parative advantages of prison-ships and prisons, which
they .consider as greatly in favour of the latter, and
that therefore the system of prison-ships should be
abolifhed as speedily as possible.
" The total amount of the expence of maintaining
the 21 prison-ships before mentioned, may be esti-
mated 463,234 6s. 4d. per annum, whereas, at
the two prisons on sht,re, at Stapleton and Norman
Cross. .which will contain 10,500 prisoners, (nearly
as many as the prison-ships before mentioned), the
annual expence of the establishment for .prisoncrs.in
health is -no more than 2550 pounds. But it is
not only the additional expence incurred by the
system of keeping prisoners on board ships; which
proves.that system to be disadvantageous. The num-
ber of 'officers and seamen established on-board those
21 prison ships is 513, and the number of marines
768 ; and thus our fleets, it is obvious, are deprived
of the services of thOse men at a time when they are
much wanted for manning our navy. tat, even afer
having incurred thii expence, and submitted to these
disadvantages, the prison ships will last only a few
years, 'whereas prisons on land will last far a consi.
disable length of time, and obviate all theinconveni-
encies we have enumerated as attendant upon the sys-
tem of keeping prisoners on board ships. One prison is
now building at Dartmoor to contain about 5,000 prl.
sorters, which will tend to diminish the evils vre allude
to ;. one or two more of the same description would
probably render prison ships altogether unnecessary.
Daring the two or three last years preceding thepeace
of Amiens, the Transport Board had in charge a num-
-4.6r .of prisoneri at home and abroad, fluctuating ge-
nerally from 30 to 34,000 men, notwithstanding • the
operations of an established Cartel, which allowed the
Constant exchange of man for man: rank for rank; and
at 'the same time permitted all Officers to retire to their
respective countries, upon condition of not serving until
regularly exchanged. Since the renewalafthewar,hq*-
, ever, the present 'French Government has crnstantly
rejected every overture for the re-establishment of a
Cartel, and detained all descriptions-of per:.ons,
and military, who were in France when the war broke
out, or who have been captured since then, though a
very different condnct.has been .observed on the part
of this country, for abbot three thousand French pri-
soners and invalids; non-combatants, -captured by U 3,
have been permitted to return home " •-
Daily ration to French prisimers of war' in hettlth :
ti lb. of bread. plat af'peate.. •
tb of fresh beef. sr- Mr.- •
The Tenth Report is oceupied With' the subject of
the Victualling Office. With !egar to „It, the Corn-
;
rnissioners state, " That nothing short. of can entire
new system is likely to be effectual.. When the
Commissioners investigated the state of the. accounts
of the Victdalling Office in 1788, they had on that
occasion to notice not only arrears ofacconnts of very
cricieot dates, but also debts due to the Crown, to a
very considerable amount. -
Of these debts due to the public, tontraired prior to
1786, the sum of 136,1421. Bs. 10Id. is still due ;
and they give it as theiraapinion, a that there is too
' much reason to apprehend ihat the abownientioned
sum will proye a loss to the public.".
" Since 1786, additional debts, to the amount of
fit) less than £224,185. 10s. 11-.ld. more have become
due to Government, and are still unrecovered ; thus
raising the total amount of money due to the Victual-
ling -Department to the sum of £351,327. If2s.
" A considerable part of the•debts due to the Public
consists in what -are -termed in official language, army
"stoppages ; that is, the value of tho pro.
1-visions furnished td troops, when embarked for a pas,
sage on board any of your Majesty's ships, or on board
transports, and which is stopped 6om the pay of the
persons to whom the provisions have been furnished,
according to the number-of days they have been vic-
tualled. These debts arose out of the system of ma-
nagement in existence prior to the 25th December;
1797, (so far as related to regiments then at home)
and prior to the 25th June, 1793, with respect to those
stationed abroad, when a new system was adopted,
which has in a great measure put a stop to. the losses
which the public was, under the former system, so
liable to sustain."
The reasons assigned by the Victualling Board for
this great delay, are 44 want of room to employ Clerks,
and the pressure of current business."
The Commissioners, however, represent at consi-
derable length, that these excuses are by no means sa-
tisfactory ; and then go oo to observe, that
64 The necessity and utility of the immediate inves-
tigation of accounts is strikingly apparent ; for in the
ease of any incorrect or suspicious circumstance ap-
pearing, it affords the means of obtaining elucidation
without delay, which a lapse of time, or the death of
the parties, may render impossible, when accounts are'.
suffered to remain in the office for many years without
being,lionidated4 and, in the event of an accountant
making uneustifiable or irregular charges, the imme-

•
• ; „' t
•y.
cila notke of preient the,i-e;
petitioaplifietn wheffeas, if Ihey.paes unetieedi the
accodntant nata.rallt conaidee that. they have been
aamittest:nndthus..thttie olatkins'a tacit approbation,
and may be of ithg centhittafite before it:is-detected ;
and when, detected; the' death..of the party, and sfari-
ous other causes, may reside? the recovery of any sum
of money thus improperly charged impossible. ' •
Wexannot avoid remarking, that when it becomes
notorious that the accounts delivered into any office
generally lay there for a considerable time, and some- •
times for years, before they•are finally settled, it offers
an inducement to men of incorrect principles to hazard
the-making tsf unjtmt charges, which they would not
venture .to do were -the accounts more speedily. ex-
amined, midlinelly liquidated."
• The Commissioners then proceed to detail a plan
for the more effectual performance ofthe dutiei of the
office. They then-proceed to state, that the arrears
of imliqUidated accounts are accumulated to an enor-
mous amount in this office.
" We should be glad if it were in our power to give
a more favourable statement with respect to the ar-
ears of unliquidated accounts than we have iseen
able to do, in regard to the debts due to the Cr..uy;, ;
but on this subject it becomes our duty to state, that
those arrests are so enormous, embracing periods so
remote, and involving sums of money to so large an
amount, that nothing lets than a radical and speedy
reform of the system of management, in regard to the
examination and liquidatian of accon•-.•:, in the Veal. -
ailing Office, -can prevent a.contirmir;on of the irregit-
lantiet which have arisen under the present system.
• "The accounts which come under the considera;ion
of theVictualling Board are r twodescriptions ; those
relating to cash, and those relating to stores.
44 We ShAl first speak of those relating to cash ;
these may be divided into four classes. •
" lst. —Accounts of commission agents, or persons
employed .by the Victualling Board to purdhast pro-
visions at home for the navy, on commission.
" 2d—Accounts of Porta Agents, or persons re-
*e...iving appointments under the Victualling Board, re-
sident* in the East and West Indies, and other places
abroad, for the: purpose- of obtaining supplies of pro-
.visions,on the spot for. the navy, or Of taking charge
of" supplies, and issuing thein to ships as occasion may
• .
require. •
3.—Accounts of Home Agents, or Storekeepers,
or persons receiving appointments under the Victual-
ling Board, and resident at the Victualling Establish-
ment at Deptford, Cliatham,• Portsmouth, and Ply-
mouth, and other places at home, for the, purpose of
supplying your Majesty's ships with provisions. from
time to time.

4th.—Those comprehended in the fourth class
may be termed promiscuous accounts, being the ac-
counts of pursers, correspondents, and other persons,
who have occasional transactions with the Victualling
Board, and have consequently had imprests gran;ed
to them.

" In entering upon the investigation of the accounts
of the Victualling Office, we followed the coarse pur-
sued in making our inquiries into the state of accounts
at the Navy Office, and calling upon the Victualling'
Board to furnish us with a statement of the arrears of.
♦business and accounts in that Office.

, .
.-.. " By thesw,:erpent2whielt *e received in return to
our precept, dated December 9, 18c11,:it ;appeared that
the a:nount of the cash accour .5, tilillqUilitted in the
Victualling Office.nt that time, was at follows : •
Accounts of Conimistion Agents ' 1'2,740,583 0 0
of Foreign Agents ' • tz,15:1,92. 17 3i
of Hume Age::ts and Stcrekeepers 939,1:94 14 44
i • . •• . Pranicsitious Acznins.
The amount 4these 13 not .cti•ier, I,r thty are •
stated to he.e ' .g sr idixg; a: ‘e ilitc of r!-
centdater, .tr..l in ?gin: of numbers to a great .
extent; and iA t letter fror.a-clie- 'V i,ztnailieg
Board to ti. Admiralty, 0: 20th November, '.
Ibo 6, it is stated, thin rho3i of them cf (.I.i.ies • .
sit'...err..tent to the tilt January;l792, rit i :1'
tli_ u.grez..t.e arricunt be estimated at About TOO,CCO 0 0

• ' .efv,9ss,loo' 11 811
We shall first speak of the Commission Agents' ae'
counts. These accounts, which invOlv...l sums to the
amount of £i744083, are 13 in number, and com&
r periods from October 81, 1/9+, to May 6, 11106..
IFour of these accounts are with one house, that of
Messrs. Jordainc,-Shaw, and Co. for tint purchase of
Irish provisions for the navy,.and involve the immense;
sum of W 2,005,673, as follows : - 1
'trials beef and pork, from Jam 4.5, 1719, to Jam 11,1900.468,7'9
Ditto, from Feb. 1, 1900, to Aug. 9, ISM - • 749,945
Ditto; from Nov. Sp, 1900; to July YS, 1801 754,875.
Bonet, from Jan. SI, 1799, to Oct. 17,1;99 . . 10;1M.,

• ge2,C011,67S
.1 The account for beef and pork, supplied from the
2414.Novernber 1800, to 25th July
.1801; amounting
to 1474,875, his not yet been investigated and stat-
ed, so as to be ready for the Board's consideration
and decision ; but the tivo others for beef and pork,
namely, the -one from. the 25th Jaithary 1799, to the
11th of January 1800, .for X188;722, and the other
from Ist February 1800, :to 9th August,lBoo,.for
IL '749,945, making, together the sum of £1,238,66t ;
though they have been ready for the Board's decision
thereon ever since the 18th March 1802, upicards. of
five years, have not yet been passed by the Board:
• ":•The one also for butter, amounting to. £lO4l,
has been ready ever since 14th December 1802; not-
withstanding which the Board have not yet come to
any determination upon it.
" Two other:Of the CommiSsion Agents *accounts
arewitli Mr. Charles Flower for suptilving cheese
one from the 6th February.lBoo, to 3-.l,st arch 1801,
and the -other frOnt. 2d .Marcli 1801, to .15th 'October
1802. These account's have also been'reported to the
.Board as ready for their decision liiimer lotg
ago as the 16th of November 1862, and the latter +ea
the 18th of September 180.1, hut nevertheless they still
remain unliquidated. . .
" These two accounts involve the sum 'of no less

than J 6252,477. . •
•
•
" The remaining seven of the CominissiOn Agents'
Cash Acc,ounts are .stated to us as not.beit4 yet.xcady
to be laid before the Board for final decision,
.
" These last accounts embrace the sun of 443),731
" With respect to the Foreign .A.genp '', cjzsh ac-
counts, the amount of the.. money invol'ed:in, them'
was, as before stated, on 9th, Ticczetilb#:.;l•BoBi
86,554,922. 17s. Sid. and, they are ._40,"Aw0411:,
number.
" These accounts _related torhiact •••• 117 sa&
taken place, and expences-thilf Yfatt
tureen sth April 1770, 'and. AN .`
clod of 27 years ; the whlle'of \4hict,itativftit
many of thein were .or such very old dites, rgmaine

tk •
M 117)

,~77
nnadjustesi at the). tinie *re iiiitilitisiliteci oat in iliiries
into the state Of aceaunts in the Vietnallirki ,
0 o,•• ,
a Since, theni It appeared the statementl',% - e
Chairttsan of the Victualling Board, who his the su-
perintendence .of the Cash Department, that six but
of the forty-two accounts before-Mentioned have been
finallyalecided upon, and passed by the Board.
46 These six accnunt‘ comprehended the sdriof
41,498,274. 19.a..00. thus redliellg the number of
the beforementioned outstanding Foreign Agents'
.Cash Accounts to thirty-six, and the amount at the
imprests to the sum of 45,0.56,647, 18s. Sid: •
a-The principal accofint of those sir recently pass-
ed, was that of Mr: Arthur Cnthbett, Agent Victu.
ailer in the East ladies, from 'the 11th May.l7Bo, to
11th of March 1785, the imprests on which-amounted
to R 1,021,526. •14u. 60.
14 'fhis ACCount .w an, urufer the-ermlidetati on of the
Commissioners of 1788, who, in their Nitith •Report,
state some very extraordinary circtobstances with re-
spect to a few of the itehis of expense Charged in it,
tending to shew.the eitisteoceof enormottshbuses in
India.. They say, 4 wecatiinotliotveter Avoid offering
a general opinion upon. the. Victualling of your Majes-
ty's fleets in India dOringihe lasL war (tile American
war) ; namely, that of the trionies'which ;taunted to
have been erpeaded.in lihrchases by Ate Agent Vic-
tualler there, amounting to more than one million of
pounds sterling, a moiety Gf that sum, upon the.most
moderate caloulaticiny would have been saved .to the
.pablic if that bralkh tithe service had keen conduct-
ed with zeal and.cConnttly.' Notwithstanding,-how-
ever, what thns; Cianinisianiers stated, no less than
22 years were suffered to elapse, from the time Mr.
Cathbert's accounts coded, before they were liqui-
dated; and the party.himself had been dead many
years prior to their being "pawed. .
ft is much to helamented that an account, in-
volving sums of money to so ithisense an amount,
should have been suffered to remain imliquidated for
so many years.
~ W. cannot think that the examination of any
account, however strict it may be, can beat all effec-
tual at such a distankedf time; and it is therefore not
surprizing that the publie.striuld not have recovered
any part of those sums which a speedy examination
would no doubt have • shewn they were entitled to :
the circumstances which occasioned the expenditures,
so far from being fresh in recollection, must be totally
lost sight of ; neither the necessity nor the propriety
of dihburseinents can therefore be judged of ; still
less can the reasonableness of the charges be ascer-
tained ; moreover, as the party himself, in this case,
had been dead. many years before his accounts were
passed, even the chance of obtaining any information
from him; on doubtful pOints, was altogether lost.
a An account of still greater importance is now
pending, embracing a period of more than eleven
years, and involving the sum of 41,418,236. 6s. 9d.
namely, the account of the Hon. Basil Cochrane us
Contractor and Agent in the East Indies, from 15th
October 1791 to 31st December 1805 : in examina-
tion and liquidation of which, without further delay,
too much atte:ltion cannot be paid.
. a Fifteen out of the forty-two unliqUidated cash
accounts : t foreign agents have been prepared, and
ready (sorne.of them for many years) for the Board's
exa,.c.inatiOn, but still wait to be taken up by them,
a'r!it passed. - . .
.. a Two of these accounts, amounting to one hun-
dred twenty-two thousand three hundred and twenty-
eight, pounds, and two-pence farthing, have been
ready for the Board's final deteimination upwards of
eighteen years, and one, amounting to two hundred
firty..six thousand three hundred and thirteen pounds,
twelve shillings) and one, penny, for upwards of 20
years, i>tit they still remain unpassed.

The following ore the periods at whiclt.the whole
of thoso fifteen accounts were ready for the Board's
deterniinatiou.
Names of Foreign Agem-3.

Sims.

When ready.

a d
f • •
'. nenry Davis
.256,313 12 1 146 March 1797
John 13e!Afuis. 96,810 1• 3 25. h July ISB
litliberelllacknure ' 26,517- 18 11i 35th MArch 1739
Walter,-Urquhart 86,724 12 oi z6:h June 1791
John Obey, sen. . ' 7-,107 -5 AU ' Oth It-no .Ibo 9
Jahn ticincv,.jurt: ‘ 16,270 II 3
..._ _..,

"sl:hontaa rzgsrald .
Thomas Aldridge
Divd.Hearly, .
W.M. WUh
Penn' Osborne
Aleisiidit Donaldson
William ikstras .
'Geary Dirabi4oiisk:

15,109 14 6 Sth Fob.
3,488 19 11 slit March 1
-14,679 18 9. — • i
369,7:35 18 101 14th May 1804
10;442 * 7f 15th July
80,7E9. 5 .31 20th Aug.
6,123 2 6 12th Oct.
2,349 17 2 ISth Sept. Ism
838,652 .; 7 lot 17th Dec.

•
. .
411,g514718' 19. 9,
" Thus, account's, to the amount of £1,855,718
16s. SiL'haVe'bieri'.' Suipestilatt, some of them for a
great Maziy .years;- though they: ktad go to through
thatpare of .the eta.mhattion, .which .as entrusted to
the clerks, and.had.been ,reptirted.recty for the final
decision of the Commissioners.
The cash accounts-of the home agents and
'lntorkeePer'S;. anscitnititif -tO the sum of £989,294
1:1 471 d. kontpiikaiates from Ist May, 1797, to 30th
'7u •1806: aikstmeofourteen in number,' the whole of
which itiOtemaul unsettled, thntigh 'ten of these ac-
coutits ilteiliiiirebeeit'preparel. and ready for being ••
passed' 'by the' lifoardlor r1:-.ny. months.
,c The wholp.o£ the prorniscuous accounts,, part of
which only, namely,4,Onse of dates..,subsequent to the
'l-st of Jazinary, 1192, are"estimated to amount to
ab0ut.3.00,000f.• tinpassed, though many
cf them ate years standing. • . .
“ We before mentioned that thesuntsof money
.inirol.:4l in ..theaccounts which were unliquidated in
the Vietnalling.Office, according to the Statement
from, that. Office, dated December 9, 1808; was
£10.,985,000 /Is. &:.d. We hive'also stated; that
rsince then, six aCcounts of fereignLigegts have 'been
pased.: the following statement will tbarefore4shew
the amcnnit:of those which still remain muliqtaatedi
Apc..os-!of.ccininlission,A,,gents • .. 4'4'7 ,x. -0 a
or Foreign Agsintsestiffilaited : •
•. • • Det.9,11306N40%929 17- * •
•• C
.•77.7!= Pasf silkCe A 5409,2- 19
• ,'.4,43,347 23
ts and broefteepeol,.. 4t
Pt..oi.inis Asians.' grfoo,ooo 0 0
Tav sAntl " dit:tt- ece8 i a
Zs.'4lli6dilt. accounts in the vlaisct:
ski
a -nand belhltaram of JCW6,925
Vl.46htelidirtnnefiggitp4P7, tri cleared; Imprests on
Or•toisinioinCsrocini,no very olcidatel;'namely from
'the Ist of January;l7/()e 4; to the Sin DSc. 1791."

). •

.

O'er the dale, aid Ore,' the shade,
A. the streatmet
Or along the reedycglicti
Silently meanders;
s —• •
llannts awhile Itspereat phis,
.••
Fring'd withnSiejy a wino •• • .
Thee. precipitates attlain;• •
Lost in Ocean's •
Thut, with rn:, Life's little day

Glides in soothing quiet ;
Far from hoarse forensic fray,
Far from pomp and riot ;
V'hen the little day shall close,
Take me, slumbers holy,
Tir'd with labours, worn with weet,
Sick of pleasing folly !

(ATI'LLIGL►I'C.F.

-111 ING, AUGUST 22.
Sweepstakes of 2ogs each ; for Syr colts, Bst. Sib. fillies Sat. Ob.
Two-year o'ds' curse. Four SubircriberS.
Mr Topbon's b. f. by I,'Orivat
Sir T. Gascoigne's b f. by Paynator 2
Two paid forfeit.
5 to 2 on the winner—won very easy.
Fifty Pounds for horses, &c. of all ages ; 3-yr olds, Set. 41b. 4-yr
olds ist. 71b. 5-yr olds sst. 51b. 6-yr olds and aged hones, &c.
set. I alb.—Mares allowed slb. and 'maiden horses, &c. 41b.
Four-mile heats.
Mr. I. Bell's b. c. Rover, by Hyacinthus, S yrs old I I
Mr. b. h. Cardinal York, syrs old 2 '2
Mr. Garforth's b. c. by Hambletonian, S yrs old 3 3
Mr. Hewett's br. c. Teazle Evitclt, by Sir Peter, 4 yrs old 4 4

One paid lorfeit.
3 to 1 nu Cardinal York—After the first heat, 2 to 1 on Rover
—A good race the second heat.

READING RACES, AUGUST '23.
Fifty Pounds for all aus. Four-mile hosts.
Mr. Dilly's Gnatho, 6 yrs old
Mr. Lewis's brother to Talisman
Nlr. Croft's Bacchanal
An easy race—llllo 1 on the winner.

1 1
. c.
dr.

A rowing-match took place an Wednesday after-
noon between Breokson, a etaterman at Three Crane
Stairs, and • Palmet , of Horseleydown, for 20 guineas
a side ; they started from Old Swan Stairs, London.
bridge, to the Swan at Chelsea, against tide. Brook-
son won by two boats length.
Saturday night, a young lady, who with her mo-
ther rescaled at the house of Mrs. Springe, in Oxford•
street, and who was accustomecho walk in her sleep,
while in this state fell from the attic windo*, and was
killed on the spot. A Coroner's Jury, which delibe-
rated on the occasion, has returned a verdict of—
Accidental Death.
The brave Sir JOHN OWEN, of Clenenney, having
suffered match from the royal cause, during the re-
bellion against Citanarael. was at length taken, tried,
and condemned to lose his head. Having heard the
sentence with much composure, he made a low obei
sance- to the tribunal, and said, t" Gentleman, I
humbly thank you :" being afterwards asked what he
meant by that, he answered, " To die for my King
was no more than I expected ; but to be beheaded for
him, is an honour I did not look for ; for being but
a poor Welch Knight, by.G--D I thought they would
have hanged me." This, and other gallant traits of
the honest Cambrian, being reported to Cnomweee, ,
he, to hie credit be it spoken, generously pardoned him.
It happened in the early part of Hoaaaatt's life,
that a Nobleman who was remarkably ugly and de-
formed, sat to him for his picture. It was executed
by the artist with all that skill for which he was so
justly celebrated. But the likeness was most rigidly
observed, without the prudent expedient of attending
to fl awry or compliment. The Peer, disgirsted at
his counterpart, left it on the Painter's hands ; who,
tired with repeated applications for payment, at last
wrote the following short note Mr. HOGARTII
presents his respects to Lord —, and acqtfaints his
Lordship, that if he don't send for the portrait in
three days, it will be sold to Mr. HALL, the wild
beast man, with the addition of a tail and other ap-
p: 0 .iees."
Fitly yesterday morning, two eillains entered the
premises of Mr. Fraser, at Stockwell, and were in the
act of packing up a quantity of wet linen, but on
being- discovered, they precipitately decamped, with-
ont their booty.
A fire broke oat yesterday met-ring at Mr. Archer's,
brush maker, in Brawn's-yard, Finsbury; it began
in the kitchen, at the back of the house, which, mete-
the- with the furniture it contained, were destroyed.
The ptesent dispute respecting the circulation of
copper coinage, which occasions great inconvenience
to the labouring classes of the metropolis, seems not
to have been put upon a right footing. The coining
of money is one of the prerogatives which the King
possesses, independent of the other two branches of
the State, and he, of his own authority, legalizes
the circulation of it by proclamation. Hence the
forgery of money is called in our statute:books
Petty Treason. Now the King havin,e once given
legality to the circulation of any denomination oft
coin, a Proclamation must issue before any species
of legal coin can be heal/9 refused. The number of
counterfeit halfpence about the town, is a very se-
rious nuisance ; but a small degree of attention will
enable any one to judge which are forgeries, and
which are Mint halfpence. Halfpence began first to
be coined in England in the reign of Charles 11. Of
these or of James 11. there are very few, if any, in
circulation. The halfpence of William and Mary,
and of William alone, are very common, and of these
we never saw a counterfeit, and it is not a little sin.
Oar, that many of the halfpence of William and
Alary are to be met with to the present day in com-
mon circulation, in a very high state of preservation.
In the reign of Queen Anne there were no halfpence
issued far circulation, though some pattern halfpence
were struck at the Mint, which are to he seen in the
cabinets of the curious. It may be incidentally men-
tioned here, that the farthings of Queen Anne are not
coins of that extreme rarity that is vulgarly imagined.
There mete two coinages of them, in 1713 and 1714,
and accezd:%;g to their preservation they are esti-
mated by the collectors as scarce coins, to be worth
from t.o 21. Of the copper coin of George I. there
are not many in c;rculatien, and perhaps no forgeries.
The li.iFpence of George 1. which have a harp on
the revcr,e, are what are called Wood's halfpence,
and have no legal circulation in England. The for-
:'e3 of the copper coin of George 11. and his present
M.ljesty are so abundant that Any attempt to describe
;cm wolii:! be fruitless; yet, as a guide for people to
distinguish between those halfpence which are good!
and tkese w filch are spurious, it may he remarked that
th- halfpence are all made of pure copper, which,
:Li;,;.. like malioany, being long exposed to the
a't-o;:tr,,ets a dark hue. The counterfeits, which
t'e most part ate made of mixed metals, are uni-
.C7‘ iny of .1 rmi.:ll paler cast. There are few coun-
t-: colt . the inscriptions on the legal coins are
szt .etly r ;lowed, which probably proceeds from a
eraa alaet notion, on the part of the forgers, that if
the do not /iterate imitate the current coin of the realm
they are g.. 11. of i,n offence. This, hoWever, is quite
and t'or which many have paid the forfeit
of Cot it lire 'll li%blic should observe then, that
. , .
the paler s; r• ....tl!pence, and all those which bear
any other t;: iTl.,,criptions of Georgius 11.
t `C (IrielF'', and " Britannia," on
or 111. ' DIED.
the reverse, ea- ..tll6 rot entitled to currenacTei At inverary, the 18th inst. Miss Elizabeth Cainal?ell, daughter
a the late Provost Lachlan Camilla •
w,a,e those h that are so inscribed, and
ytaade of pure pi,'-r, are Mint halfpence, and vagatat ?UGH wAlEllt AT LONDON 11 TO-MORROW.
loe.krifiy rejt.c?ci. Morning sin
..... 20after 2.
Aitinl92 y 42.211.4.41*. 3.

EMI:MON.—On Saturday J. Boyd, found guilty
at Northumberland Assizes of littering forged notes,
was executed near Morpeth. Being a Roman Ca-
tholic, he was attended by a clergyman of that
church. He appeared perfectly composed, and met
his fate with much resignation. He was a native of
Ireland, and some time an officer. in the army.

On Wednesday last, as the infant daughter of .i)hn
Petman, master of an ordnance boy,. at'Sheerness,
*as lying in a cradle near the fire, a spark set fire to
the bed clothes, which burnt dm child in so shocking
manner that its life is despaired of.
On Wednesday night, as Miss E. H. Hodgson
was stepping into a coach, from the house of a Lady
in Portland-street, where she had spent the evening
with a party, she was seized with a fit, and expired
in a few minutes.

Yesterday se'smight, as W. Bamfylde, Esq. was
rettirn'ng from liatutsford, he fell from his horse, dis-
located hi, neck, and was taken to the sign of the
Smoaker, at Tabley, where he shortly expired.
Tuesday se'nnight one of the tide-waiters stationed
at Port Glasgow, was found drowned in that harbour.
UNION HALL—Yesterday Mary Mac Karnis un-
derwent a second examination, on the charge of offer-
ing to pledge silver rings, gilt, representing them to
be gold rings. Mr. Essex, of the Strand, stated, that
he had discovered the person who made the rings by
an application at Goldsmiths' Hall. The rings were
stamped at the Hall with the stamp used by the Com-
pany for stamping silver. Mr. Slack, the person who
made the rings, mentioned the names of the people
from whom he had received the order : he had made
three dozen and a half similar to that produced : it
is not usual to have articles so small as these stamp-
ed ; but when they were ordered Mr. Slack was de-
sired to get them stamped, as they were to be sent to
the West Indies. They were worth about 2s. Sd.,
each, and were not gilt when delivered to the per-
, sons who ordered them. The prisoner, a young wo-
man, said in her defence, that the ring was given to
her by a man she did not know. Ihe Magistrate,
Mr. Justice CHAMBER-iv said it did not appear that the
prisoner had sold the ring representing it to be gold ;
she had offered it to pledge, and the pawnbrokers
with difficulty discovered the cheat ; it was possible
the woman might have received it as she stated, and
really be ignorant that it was not gold; unless, 41434.
fore, any person could identify the prisoner as being
the person who had pledged any of the other rings,
he should discharge her. No proof being produced,
she was discharged.
SWiNDLINGL—The following article is copied from
a Manchester paper A gentleman has put into
our hands a pamphlet, publiihed a few days ago, at
Bolton, which details :he stratagem by which a per-
son of that town had preyed upon the inhabitants of
that place. R— K—, a native of the vicinity of Bol-
ton, and of indigent parents, by trade a weaver, and
of dissolute manners, while sitting in company at a
public house, fell into conversation with two stran-
gers, who told him, that a certain gentleman, a sup-
posed native of Bolton, had lately died in their neigh-
bourhood, to whose estate no heir could be found, and
which, if not claimed in six months, would devolve
to an old servant, according to the will of the de-
ceased. (4 Perhaps (said K—,) it is my old uncle
Mather!"—" Right (replied the two gentlemen),
you are the heir, to all." The specious appear-
ance of the strangers gained full credit to the tale ;
and numbers of the inhabitants, thinking it a good
speculation, contributed towards the equipment of
the indubitable heir, with decent clothes, and a sill-
ficient sum of money, itt order that he might under-
take a journey to Gloucester, near which city the pa-
trimony was said to lie. Ac ordingly he went the
journey, and soon after returned, giving a splendid
account of the hall and furniture, its vast hop-yards,
and also the sum of 120,0001. lodged in the Bank at
Gloucester. , ,The news spread : was dubbed,
Esquire, his children were sent to a bearding-school‘
and numbers, who would have disdained to have no-
ticed an honest weaver, went to worship the newly-
erected golden calf ; in short, Mr. K— was invited
to dinners, and he also, in return, had his feasts and
his friends. After L— had thus rioted on the cre-
dulity of his townsmen, they became impatient for the
pay day. The lsth of last May was the' time at
which he wat to enter upon his estate, and he com-
menced his journey for that purpose. After long and
anxious expectation of his return, it was suspected
that he had taken a final farewell of Bolton. The
I conjecture proved true ; for two gentlemen going in
quest of the new Squire, found him, a few days ago,
at work in a coal miae. The two impostors, with
; whom the plot was concerted, have not been disco-
vered. The sums swindled from various persons, are
supposed to amount to 60001. In millinery alone, in
I one year, 6001. was contracted."

a - _ . SPORTING INI
FRAGMENT,
YORK AUGUST MEI
TRANSLATED FROM THE LA* OF DR. JORTIN. Sweenstakes of 2fts each; for