Star.
London, England, 1824-05-17 00:00:00

MR. BATTIER.

In the STAR of Saturday, we announced the sudden
death of Lieutenant-Colonel WESTERN, the second to
Mr. BATTIER, and have since received the following
letter ft-till that Gentleman, on the subject of his late
duel with the Marquis of LoxporatnEnav

" S:torday night, 11 o'Clock, May 15, 1824.
" SIR-I have only this evening seen, in The Morning Chronick of
this day, a letter, with annexed documents, purporting to be a
statement of the particulars of a recent correspondence between Sir
11. Ilardinge and Lieutenant-Colonel Western, relative to a subject
on which I felt it necessary to require an explanation from the Mar-
qui• of Londonderry. The sudden death of my gallant friend yes-
terday
has placed me in circumstances of the most unparalleled em-
barrassment, for which I trust to the sympathy of every brave and
liberal mind. The specious representation of Sir H. Hartlinge con-
tains matter which, though totally at variance with the true cha-
racter of the transaction, and deficient in most important circum-
stances, I cannot, on the spur of the moment, as bearing the au-
thentication of Lieutenant-Colonel Western's signature, deny or
refute. But I have no doubt of being enabled to prove that my
friend's signature was obtained to a document which he bad nut
thoroughly examined, relying oil Sir 11. Ilardinge being incapable
of recording the particulars partially or untruly. While I endea-
vour to rectify the impression intended to be conveyed by the late
,ta•ement, I entreat my friends, particularly my military friends, to
suspend their judgment. WM. BATTIER.
" Thomson', Hotel, Cavendish-square."

SOCIETY FOR IMPROVING THE CONDITION
or TIIE IRISH PEASI'NY'It•Y.

A meeting of the Members of this Society took place
on Saturday, in the Horticultural Board Room, Regent-
street, for the purpose of receiving the report of the
last year. At two o'clock a considerable body of the
subscribers were in attendance, among whom we noticed
Locd Carberry, Lord Dunally, Sir John Doyle, Sir C. Doyle,
Sir A. Chichester, Right Honourable M. Fitzgerald, Colonel
French, Major Warburton, Mr. Tighe, Mr. It. Wellesley, M.P.
Mr. J. Smith, 31.1'. General Hart, Sir M. Tierney, Mr. Owen of
Lanark, &c. &c.

It was announced by advertisement that hip Royal
Highness the Duke of YORK was to take the Chair__
but a: 11;411-past two a letter was received from Sir Her-
bert Taylor, apologising for hi: absence, and Sir John
Doyle presided.
Mr. MITCHELL, the Secretary, read the Report, from
which the funds of the Society appear ed tc be as follows :

Old Four per Cents. (nov., ) . . . X 5,000
Three per Bents. Consols . . . . 5,000
Exchequer Balls 1,000
In the hands of the Treasurer . . . 40

X 11,040
Mr. R. WELLESLEY, as Chairman of the Committee,
rose at the conclusion of the Report, and moved that it
should be adopted.
Lord CARBERRY seconded the motion, which wa,
carried nem. con.

Colonel FRENCH expressed his sincere admiration of
the noble and liberal conduct of the London Committee,
whose generosity lie was satisfied would ever live in the
recollection of Irishmen. He moved " That the Society
hold meetings on the first Tuesday in every month in
the City of London."—Carried.

The Bishop of LIMERICK was at a loss for words to
express his since►ity ; he participated in feelings of gra-
titude towards the City of London Committee, for the
manner in which they had stepped forward to relieve
the calamities of his unhappy country.
Sir ULYSSES BURGH moved the thanks of the Meet-
ing to the sixty Charitable Loan Institutions in Ireland,
and hoped that their numbers might be increased.
Sir JOHN DOYLE moved the thanks to the Duke of
Yot k, which was put and carried by acclamation.
Doctor SAUNDERS came forward and said, that he
had entered the room as a casual visitor, but was so,
stt uck with the benevolent object of the Society towards
his countrymen, that he requested permission to become
a subscriber to its funds—(Hear).
Sir CHARLES DOYLE and one or two other Gentlemen
requested a similar permission.
The Bishop of LIMERICK—" And I, too, Sir John, put
in my claim for the sante permission"—( Applause.)
Sir J. DOYLE-46 1 do not know what sort of a Chair.
man I make, but I do not think I am a bad recruiting
officer—(A laugh). And my Lord Bishop, of all the
recruits that I ever obtained in the whole course of my
recruiting service, I am sure I never had one who was
better calculated to pass the mot sc:upulous muster
than yourself"—(Laughter and applause).
Mr. R. WELLESLEY then moved the thanks of the
Society to Sir John Doyle, for his services in the Chair.
Sir J.DOYLE, in returning thank;, reiterated the warm
sense he entertained of the value of this compliment.

GENERAL PETITION OF THE CATHOLICS.—At the
General Meeting of the Catholic Association on Satur-
day se'nnight, Ali. O'CONNELL reported from the Com-
mittee which bad beeii appointed on the previous Satur-
day to wait on the Attorney• General, relative to the ge-
neral Petition of the Roman Catholics, praying for eman-
cipation. He said lie had written to Mr. l'numcm on
Saturday, and on Sunday received a reply from the
Right Honourable Gentleman, saying that he was
obliged to proceed immediately to London to attend his
duty in Parliament, but he pointed out the way by
which the Petition was to be sent after him—through
the Secretary's Office at the Castle. It was agreed
that application should be made at all the Roman Ca-
tholic
chapels in Dublin, to get signatures to the Petition.
The following is an extract ol a letter from Havre,
Alay 10:—" You have had an elopement from your sides
of the water in tolerable high life, to say the eldest son of
a Welsh Earl, with Lady A—. They are living in
the vicinity of this town in tolerable good style, of coarse
nat visited. His Lordship having studied under Belcher,
he thought he might, upon his arrival, exercise his art
with impunity upon a Frenchman; however, he had to
pay pretty smartly for the attempt."
At the Sessions for Flintshire, Mr. T:igg, a man of
gentlemanly appearance, was indicted for deserting his
wife and family, and leaving them chargeable to the
parish of Hawarden. It appeared that Mr. Trigg, who
is a person of good education and a surgeon, had formed
an adulterous connexion with a publican's wife in the
neighbourhood, with whom lie eloped, leaving his own
wife, an interesting woman, and four young chiidten,
without means for their support. The precarious assist-
ance of friends was soon expended, and she was neces:i-
tated to ask relief of the pail, who in consequence
took the present measures. The prisoner made a sorry de-
fence, and was found Guilty. The CHAIR MAN sentenced
him to six months' imp! isonment, and to be kept to hard
labour. On judgment being pronounced, he faintei.
Dr. MASKELY NE was known to be very taciturn.
One day, on his return home in the Greenwich stage, a
servant girl who travelled with him, and was disposed
to be very chatty, received, as usual, nothing but mono-
syllables. On her leaving the coach, she thus asisitessed
the Doctor—" If you're a wise man, you've been a fool
for not talking ; but if you are a fool, you've shetvn you:
wisdom by nut exposing your Io y by your tongue;
surd so I wish you a good rn nning."