Star.
London, England, 1825-02-02 00:00:00

ivAPAL ZffiltMkiVcE.

A letter fiwieWss. Wn.unstaa, Esq. Agent to Lloyd's, at Molca-
'dors, dated the 13th of December, announces the loss of the ship
*ring Grove, of London, Captain Wituax Blooms, on that coast,
ke the nortisitard of Sallee. on the 2341 ult. The Spring Grove was
bound to the South teas, me a whaling voyage. The vessel went
'to pieces soon after she struck on the beach, and, of consequence,
'only a small proportion of tackling, whaling apparel, &c. was saved,
and two of thews* perished is attempting to get on shore.
Foutotern, JAL 31.—Wind S.W.—Arrived the Aurora, JACK.
Son, from Cephalonia in sixty days--spoke yesterday the Virginia,
Klemm, from Baltimore for Rotterdam.
Parsiovni, Jas. 31.—Wind S.W.—Arrived the Tobago, LID.
lea, from Chiozsi in fifty•six days ; Hotspur, Bootie, from Leg-
horn • Concord, 011/IAMY, from St. Michael's ; also from the Downs,
the Lucy Davison, WILLIAMS, for Rio• Janeiro; Alliance, VITRON,
for Nevis. Off the port, the Portland, JOST, for Jamaica.
PORTSMOUTH, Fit. 1. Wind N.N.W. Arrived the Adler,
Fame, from Hamburgh for Pernambuco, with loss of sails, &c.
and his NI aj,sty's ship BOADICEA. from Plymouth.
Mat, Fee. I.—Wind N. W.— Arrived from the River and re-
main, the Sarah, DRUMMOND, fur New York ; Caiedonia, CHRISTIE,
for Jamaica; George the Fourth, MoacaN, fur —; Kingston,
LUCK'S, for Demerara; and the .It,hii, PA NTLEY, frsin Shields fur
Bourdeauz—the latter is on shore near Sandwich Haven.
LIVERPOOL, JAIL 31.—Wind W.—Arrived the Cartes, Di COST,
from New York—sailed 9th inst. Alexander Mansfield, from ditto.
NEWRY, Jaw. 211.—A 'sloop was seen to go down about two miles
East of Carlingford Bar, on the 26th inst. and, it is fear-d, the crew
drowned. The main-sail and some spars have come on shore, the
former with " Bristol" stamped on it ; and the latter with " Nancy"
branded on them.
The following interesting extract from a letter received a few days
ago from a native of Gieenock, we quote from the Glasgoiv Courier:
" PANAMA, OCT. 17,0324.-1 am now a second voyage at PA.
mama, and have this time come down from Guayaquil, in a convoy
of fifteen transports, to carry up Colombian troops to liulivar's army.
We sail for Peru to-morrow, with the same convoy, with 5000
good sokliers, with whose assistance, 1 think, Bolivar will be able
completely to root out the Spaniards from Peru.
" On my passage up from here, lait voyage, in lat. 4.N.10ng. 19.
W. on the Ist of August, the ship tvas struck by a bill-fish (not
the common sword-fish) two streaks from the keel, in the after-
run ; it went right through the middle of a hard oak timber,
nine inches thick, and split the timber from head to foot, and the
planks both outside and in, right fore and aft, insomuch that,
with both pumps; we could not keep her free. 1 ran leer
into Gorgona, an uninhabited island, which lies, 2. 52. N.
long. 73. W. and there being a great rise and fall of
water, I took her on the beach, and put in a new plank.—
On this Island there is nothing to be had eatable, but plaintains and
monkeys : the latter, I can assure you, is much better eating than
1 you would imagine—so much so, that both thy passengers and crew
, preferred stewed monkeys to salt beef; indeed, they are commonly
eaten on the coast of Chocu, off which the aforesaid Island lies.
" The bill.hsh is not above the size of a large porpoise, and his
bill about three feet long ; at the root, it is about eight in circ um-
feren ce, and tapers off like a niarlinspike. 1 have still got the bill,
a nd intend sending it to the Greenock Museum."

i
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PAIILIAMENTAItY BUSINESS.

'a'
here
r b
Mar

To-morrow both Houses of Parliament meet for the
dispatch of business, and rarely has any Session excited
lesss Intel est as it approached. Hitherto every Session
has had some business of novelty at least, if not of great
magnit►rde, to discuss. The invasion of Spoilt was a
topic of immense interest in 1823. The disturbances in
Demerara, and the relations of the New States, excited
much anxiety and considerable expectation last year.
But what has Parliament to do this year? This paucity
of matter for declamation and invective may be felt
inconvenient by Members whose title to their seats is at
all dependent upon their popularity, now that the Par-
liament is so far in the wane. It u ill be iceoilected
that this is a Parliament called together by a new reign.
Its age is not yet five years, although it is about to
commence its sixth Session. Its natural, or rather its
necessary dissolution, woulfrl be in April, 1827. Yet
though it will not probably be dissolved until June or
July, 1826, it has arrived at that stage when the men
of the people were wont to renew their celebrity.
As to what is generally termed the public business,
it is in an unprecejeritedly forward state. All the
annual Accounts and Bills are now ready to be presented
to both Houses, and all the Eslimates for the year are
seady for the Commons. The Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer, and Mr. Herries, the Secretary to the Trea
sury, gave strict orders at all the Government Offices
on this subject; and they have personally attended
to the orders being carried strictly into effect. lt is a
great improvement in the recent mode of managing
the Public Business, to have all the Government Ac-
counts and Estimates ready for presentation on the first
day of the Session. 'fill within the last two Sessions,
they were seldom before the House till two or three
months of the Session had elapsed.
The private business of Parliament, namely, Bills for
Companies &c. will occupy an amazing portion of at-
tention. As a proof of the immense number that will be
presented to Parliament—a number that exceeds all
former precedent, even when the boasted enclosures
were so much the rage—it may be mentioned that one
Parliamentary Agent has upwards of fifty of these
private Bills to present to Parliament.—These matters
may extend the Session, because they create so much
work for Committees " Above Stairs."
The alterations about tire House of Lords to pro-
cure temporary Committee Rooms, such accommo-
dations being wanted, have been most extensive; they
were much wanted in consequence of the numerous
buildings that have been pulled down lately in pro-
motion of divers improvements about both Houses of
Parliament. For the convenience of persons attending
Committees, there is a new entrance to the House of
Lords. Posts, railings, &c. are raiseri to prevent the
carriages going to the Commons from obstructing
such entrance.

It is stated in a letter from Lisbon, dated the 17th
ultimo, that the obstacles to the recognitiotr of the in-
dependence of Brazil were nearly surmounted, and
that it was expected the next mail will convey intelli-
gence of the overthrow of the Ministry, and the adop-
tion of that measure.

- -
A short time since, Mr. Bignell, Mate of the Hythe
East lndiaman, went with ii brother Officer to spend the
evening with the Officers of another of the Company's
ships lying off Gravesend. They were towed on board
by one of the Gravesend watermen, who was desired
to wait with his brat alongside to convey them back to
the Hythe. About ten o'clock at night, Mr. Bignell
and his brother Officer got into the boat, and the water-
man proceeded with them back to the vessel : the other
Officer got on deck first, leaving Mr. Bignell to settle
wish the waterman, who demanded 6s. for his trouble.
Mr. Bignell refused to pay such an exorbitant demand,
and called to the other Officer, who stood looking over
the gunnel, saying the waterman wanted to charge
them6s. the other said, him, he is like all the
der Gravesenders; give him two." Mr. B. presented
him the money, which was refused by the waterman,
who told him he was no gentleman for offering such a
trifle. This roused Mr. B.'s indignation, and he made
a blots. at the sculler, who missed it by stepping aside;
and this unfortunate young Gentleman fell overboard,
and sunk to rise no more.
The Upper Pool of the River Thames was never
known to be so full of shipping as at the present time,
l'uce the opening of the London Docks.

e

LOS'S of a STEAM-.IIOAT (in the MISSISSIPPI.

The folowing is, an extract from a letter to a me--
candle hou.e in New York, dated Caiborne; Dec. 5:
—" I have merely time to info rm you that on Friday
morning, at five o'clock, one hour before clay-light,
the steam boat Montgomery; was snagged and sunk
about 50 miles abuse this place, giving the 1.. a seirgers
barely time to escape with their clothes and bagga.,;,e
that we, ein the cabin. We were all asleep ; and hear.
ing that the boat snagged and was sinking was appall-
ing! We all jumped naked from our berths; but as
the boat was near the shore, the mate, by his coolness
and entreaties to avoid confusi,m,-encouraged us to
dress ourselves while he brought the boat near enough
to the shore, to enable us, by means of a plank, to
reach an almost impenetrable cane brake, just as she
sunk. He is a brother to N. and 6. Weed ; by his
great eseitions and presence of mind, in encouraging
the crew' who had deserted their quarters, and were
securing themselves in the boats, to resume their station
and aid him in saving the ve,sel, she was prevented
from sin,king in deep water, and the means of saving
whatever was saved. Her bow is upon the bank, just
out of water, and her stern resting on a log, sunk to the
upper tier of her cabin windows on deck, leaving her
upper works almost under water, when I left her yes-
terday afternoon, after having spent the night with my
fellow-passengers in the cane brake. Part of the cargo
has been fished out ; but most of it, except the spir its,
will be lost ; they may be saved, and hopes are enter-
tained of swing the boat, in case the river does not rise
ti .o fast. The Uniled States' specie was not on hoard.
Two or three passengers have been ruined, by losing
all their property."

LAW REPOLI .U.

COURT OF CHANCERY, FEBRUARY 1.

To an application made to the Court on Saturday,
for an order of sequestration against the proper ty of a
debtor confined in IVhitecross..treet Plison, the Loan
CMANCELLOR having taken time to consider it, said, on
caking his seat this morning, that he did not suppose
his jurisdiction extended beyond the Fleet Prison.

COURT OF RING'S BENCH, FEBRUARY 1.

THE KING V. JOSIAH TAYLOR.

This was an application to the Court to take from
the file a plea of autrefois acquit,.tci an indictment for
keeping a common gaming-house, pleaded puia dar-
etc's continuance, on the ground that it was entitled
generally of Michaelmas Term, though it was not
pleaded till the 19th of November. The prosecutor
also swore that the acquittal so pleaded was obtained
by fraud and collusion, which was not denied on the
part of the defendant. The case had been argued on a
former day.
The Lotto CHIEF JUSTICE now gave judgment that
the plea was irregularly pleaded, and must be taken
off the file. There were cases, indeed, where the
Court would, in its discretion, receive such .a plea, or
allow it to remain, though pleaded out of time ; but
they would not grant this indulgence in a case where it
was sworn on the otre side, and not denied on the other,
that the matter to be introduced on the file was frsudu-
lently procured, and could only tend to defeat the pur-
poses of justice. The tule, therefore, for quashing the
plea must be made absolute.