Star.
London, England, 1825-10-15 00:00:00

IFEYBILL FAIR.

%Velum'. Sneer FAIR opened early on Monday
morning. The number Of sheep penned exceeded
150,000. Sheep met generally with a good and quick
sale, hut, as usual in so I:4tge a number, prices varied
according to quality. Down ewes fetched from 275.!
Rr 44s.—some lots of a very supepior breed as high as
+7s. Dowo lambs 16s. to 33,.—some as high as 365.
Wethers from 275. to 465. some fat ones, 50s.
Horne FAla.—The chew of hoises is remarkably
good, as regards strong cart colts, and the prices immo-1
der-itely high. We observed a fine spew of excellent!
riding horses ; the string of hunting horses not so nu-
meroos as in some former years, but such as were ofi
the first ra:e and ptice. There is also a fine shew
Flanders mares; they are remarkable for size and,
coloJr, and with crests like the English stallion.
HOPS.—The hop fair did not commence till yester-
day (Wednesday) ; the number of pockets of new hops
grounded this year was about 1500 ; and about 300
pockets of old hops, from various dates down to 1819.
Malay pockets are grounded from Worcester, li2re-
fordshite, and Kent. The (nice asked for country
hops was 281. per cwt. ; while Farnhatis hops are
offering at 311. 10s. per cwt.
CHEESZ.—The qualtity of cheese grounded this
year is comparatively small and the sale far from brisk;
thiee-fourths remained unsold, and the prices were as
under :—two year old Somerset, finest 81s.; one year
ditto, 665. to 765. ; North Wiltshire, 60s. to 70s.—a
prime lot or two realizing a few shillings a cwt. more;
Skim 30s. to 455.

The Mancherter Journal says, gi the importation of
cotton wool this year exceeds the quantity imported
during the same period last year by 5.49,402 bags, the
imports for this year being 74P,097, and for the same
period last year 470,695."
A company has been formed at Lancaster for the
purpose of supplying the town with gas, and upwards
of one thousand pounds beyond the estimated cost of
the works has been subscribed.

There was a violent affray between two factions at
Mi'town•Malbay, near Limerick, on Sunday, imme-
diately after both leaving Chapel, when scythes, sticks,
and.stones, were used by the combatants in the most
reckless manner.

The herring fishery commenced at Boulogne the 2d
of October, and, 4‘ according to ancient and solemn
custom," a religious ceremony invoked the favours of
Heaven upon the efforts and industry of the seamen,
The Clergy went to the sea-side in procession, and
blessed the sea. A crowd of sailors assisted at this act
of devotion.

STEAM toars.—A New York Paper of the 15th
ult. says-44 We perceive in the Providence Journal,
an account of the success which has attended the ex-
periment which has lately been made of a newly in-
vented engine on board the steam-boat Babcock, the
name of the inventor, by which, at the expense of only
one foot of wood, she accomplished a distance of 30
rniles'in three hours and a half. The machinery, it is
said, occupies very little room: and not more than a
single barrel of water was expended in the passage."
Wednesday night, about nine o'clock, as the Bristol
Traveller Coach, from Exeter, was preparing to start
from the London Inn, Taunton, the leaders, in their
impatience to set of before the coachman had taken
his seat, could not be restrained by the hostler, who
was standing by the pole horses, and proceeded up the
street at a rapid rate. An inside passenger leaped out,
and fortunately escaped unhurt. The outside passen-
gers, of which there were several, all maintained their
stations without injury; but John Davis, the hostler,
was Orman down, and both his legs were dreadfully
lacerated by the wheels going over them : he was
taken up in extreme agonies, and o iveyed to the
London Inn, and from thence to the Hospital. The
coach was violently jerked against the gas lamp post,
which nearly severed the door from its hinges. The
progress f the horses was fortunately arrested, after
they had run about fifteen yards, by the spirited con-
duct of some persons who were bit the spot.
Wednesday evening, as Mr. Thorp, one of the prin-
cipal waiters at the Albion Tavern, was attending a
company of Gentlemen, he was suddenly taken ill, and
retiring to an adjoining room, extended himself on a
sofa, and almost instantly expired. He was a most
estimable character, and had been in the service of Mr.
Kay many years.
ABSENTEES.—It is not generally known that the griev-
ance cif Irish absentees was early felt in the sister king.
dom, and various penalties attached to it, by several sta-
tutes. Sir J. DAvts, Attorney-Gen. in Ireland to Janata
I. has observed, in his historical relations, that the ab-
sence of the great Lords (alto had large estates in Le-
land, and yet refolded in England) was the principal
cause of the slow progress made in thereduction of Le-
land, and of the frequent rebellions of the people, who,
were thereby encouraged to make encroachments upon
the English settlers, and dispossess them of their lands;
and that the Kings of England were thereby obliged to
send over armies from time to time, to reduce, and recon-
quer the provinces that were so lost. For which reason
an ordinance was made in the third 'ear of Ricitann
against such as were ab ent from their lands in Ireland,'
which gave two-third parts of the profits thereof to the
hero, until they returned, or placed a sufficient number
of men to defend the same.; which ordinance was for
Many years put in execution, as appears by sundry sea-
vacs made thei cupon, in the time.of Racism's:ill. and
HENnias IV. V. and VI. in the Remembrancer's.office.
Amongst the rest the Duke of NORFOLK was impleaded
on this ordinance, for two parts of the profits *4 his
lands in the county of Wexford, in the time of HENRY
Art. and afterwards, on the same reason of state, all the
lands of the house of NonroLlc,the Earl of S HREWS.
BURY, Lord BERKELEY, and others, were entirely re-
sumed and vested in the Crown, by the Act of Absen-
tees, made the 28. h ef HENRY VIII. Within the last
century there were some Acts of a similar nature passed
by the Irish Parliament. By one of 1715, all salaries,
tees, or pensions, in the hands of absentees, were taxed at
the rate of 20 per cent. but the KING received a dis-
pensing power which nullified their operation; and in
the year 1753 these penalties were abolished.
The New. Yotk Papers give the following description
of the singular retreat in which the unfortunate but
turbulent Greek Chieftain, ODYSSEUS, used to conceal
himself. It is written by Dr. HOWE, who went from
Boston to join the Greek army :
" This cave, or castle, is one of the greatest natural curiosities in
the woad; it is a cave in the air, if I may so call it. The only
way of getting access to the montirof it is by ascending a precipice
of ow feet, by four ladders, one of which is drawn up before the
other is let down. The interior will hold a small body of troops
thavaszus had stocked it with ammunition and
It is absolutely impregnable, the entrance
cannon shot or shell can enter. In the in-
water, which it is impossible to cut of

very conveniently. Om
provision fur ten years,
being so formed that no
terior is a fine spring of