Star.
London, England, 1825-09-20 00:00:00

FROM THE A CATRALIAN OF MARCH S.

The Alsnoralr dropped down to Point Piper on Tues-
day awl-fling by daybreak. It was anticipated that
(s:•veinnient, after adopting the act of the charterers,
woul J use r uch means as might be deemed Dec •ssary to
get possession cf the cargo of the Almorah, and endea-
vour, if pcssible, to set aside the seizure, and prevent
a condemnation of it. The Attorney-General formed
an opini,,n, that very strong measures would be justi-
sable on the part of Government in recapturing the
allgo, and rescuing it c•ut of the hands of the SLANEY.
in consequence of this opinion. a warrant was applied
for ar.d obtained from the Superintendent of Police,
and with this the Attorney-General proceeded in a boat
towards the ship. Those on board warned all boats off,
and w ould allow none to come alongside. Several
boats trade to her, but when they persisted in nearing.
some show of firing was made from on board by letting
off a iew blank cartridges. The boat in which the
Attorney-Gev.eral was proceeding, when within hail,
v as a aved to like tie rest, and saluted like the rest.

EXTRAORDINARY CLAM UPI)N THE .1
nuns OF NORTHUMBERLIND.

It will be recollected, that a poor woman applied
short time ago for advice as to the manner in which
it would by advisable for her to proceed, in order to
make known a claim which she bad upan the Doke of]
Not thomberland, and that she 'toted that her grand-
Father, Mr. Lomas, who was married to the Dowager{
Duchess of Somerset, had magnanimously gin. opl
to the Percy family 80,0001. for which he had the b. ndi
of his wife. All the circumstances stated upon that'
occasion were, it appears, well founded; but there
were two or three inaccuracies, which, as the case is
extremely important to bothparties, we think it neces-
sary to correct. The name of the unfortunate grand-
daughter of Mr. Lomas, is Webster, and not Lomas.
Her father was a citizen of London, and carried on
business at No. 87, Newgate-street. Mr. Cesar, one
of the Parish Officers, who investigated her case, when
she was compelled, by the sudden death of her father,;
and the refusal of the Northumberland family to make
any permanent provision for her, state, that he believes
it to be true in all its leading particulars. The state-
ment that the applicant's mother had received a pen-
sion, was erroneous, for her mother was no more, before
her grandmother, who was the wife of Mr. I.omas,
died. Notwithstanding the fact that many days have
elapsed since the publication of the remarkable cir-1
cnmstances of the case, and that the Duke of Nor-,
thumberland has been applied ti by petition and by,
letter, no notice whatever has been taken of the matter,'
and the unfortunate pauper has often expressed a wish
that if the Duke supposes her to ,be an impostor, he'
would vindicate himself by prosecuting her—a course
by which her claim would be settled beyond the pos-
sibility of further dispute. When the widow of Mr.
Lomas died, her only survivor, the complainant, ap-
plied to the Rev. Dr.Macleod, the Rector of St. Anne's,
Soho, and put into his possession, according to her
statement, the original letter of the late Duke of Nor.,
thumberland, promising to take care of the descendants,
'of Mr. Lomas, in order that he might interfere in tbel
Percy family in her behalf, and procure a continuaneel
of the annuity of 25/. per annum, which had been paid
to Mrs. Lomas for 32 years. The Duke of Northum-
berland, it was stated to the parish- officers, excused
himself from making any provision for the descend-
ant of Mr. Lomas, on the ground that the Earl of
Beverley, the second grandson of the Duchess of So-
merset, was in possession of the magnificent fortune
which Mr. Lomas gave up with such noble disinte-
restedness. In August, 1820, the Earl of Beverley paid
a visit to the widow of Mr. Lomas, and gave her a
guinea. He was exceedingly desirous that she should
give up the letter of the late Duke of Northumberland,
acknowledging the obligations of the family to the
descendants of Mr. Lomas; but this additional evidence
of the disinterestedness of her family she positively re,
. .

Lined to give ; and being a woman of a high spirit, ad-
dressed his Lordship in terms not by any means agree.'
able to the delicate ear of prosperity, especially from
one who was considered in the light of a poor relation.
The Earl has mostly resided in France since that
period, and, therefore, has not been applied to. We
have learned that soon after the pauper had put her
lase into the bands of the Rev. Dr. M'Leod, and en-
trusted him with the letter of the late Duke, she was
asked by him whether, if the Duke made a permanent
provision for her, she would consent to give up the
letter containing the secret ? To this she eadily con-
sented, understanding that the Rev. Gentlemip had been
in communication with his Grace. She was somewhat
surprised a short time afterwards, upon learning from
the Doctor, that his Grace would give no more than
251. and that upon the receipt of that sum, he (the
Doctor) bad given up the letter. She then had no
alternative. She was in a deplorable condition, and
she took the 25/. No application was made by her
wail about two years afterwards, when she applied, in
a supplicatory letter, to Lord Prudhoe, the brother of
the Duke of Northumberland, stating the nature of her
claims. From his Lordship she received 51. When
this pittance was exhausted, she applied again, and the
Duke sent her 201. on which she lived for 12 months.
All her subsequent applications proved fruitless, and
she was driven, as before stated, to seek relief from
the parish. The parish officers, although they can
make no distinction in their allowance, to the descend-
ant of the gallant Gentleman, to whose generosity the
noble family are indebted for so large an addition to
their wealth, treat her with great respect and kindness.
Mr. Cesar, the hosier, of Newgate-street, when in office
as an Overseer, very benevolently exerted himself in
her behalf.—The following, we are a:soled, is a verba-
tim copy of the letter from the late Duke of Nor-
thumberland, to suppress which, such strenuous exer-
tions were made.

M To John Cowslade, Esq.
" Alnwick, January ist, 1790.
" Data Sts—l have received yours, indesing one Irons Mrs.
Lomas, and in consequence of your information, and her distress, I
I am very twilling to allow her SOL a-year for life, which I shall
commence as from Christmas last. I have, therefore, inclosed a
check for 25i. for the first halt year. I should not have troubled
you on this occasion, but I thought it world give Mrs. Lomas aal
additional pleasure to receive Ibis information from your bands ;1
and I have no doubt but my brother, who is in possession of my
late grandmother's personal fortune, which Air. Lomas undoubt-
edly might have claimed; will make any addition as may be thought
necessary to the above sum. Your's, sincerely,
" NORTHUMBERLAND."

The Duke afterwards made use of the remarkable
expression, 66 Whilst a Percy lives, a descendant of
Lomas shall never rant." The unfortunate pauper, to
whom, Gov knows, it would be charitable in some one
of this great family, which is, perhaps, the wealthiest Yr
all England, to bear in remembrance the immense
sacrifice made in their favour, and the honourable
assurance given by the late Duke of the eternal grati-
tude due to his benefactor, appeared yesterday at the
!Mansion-house to make inquiries as to whether any
thing had been beard respecting her case ? and was an-
swered in the negative. Her condition is indeed mise.
rabic, and it appeared to those who saw her, that she
was not rit all likely to be long a burden-to any one.

Govesnment have at length given orders for the re-
moval of the Victualling Department from Chatham to
'Sheerness. The Costom-hothe at Rochester will then
be established on the premises now occupied by the
Victualling Department at Chatham.
lir a pitched battle for 20 sovereigns, in Cheync-fields,
between Buntingford and Cambridge, on S.ttnrday,
Feltham was killed in a combat with Bishop Harvey,
a superior boxer. They had f ught fifteen gallant
rounds, when Feltharis was hit down by a right-ha:ided
blow upon the temple, from which he never recovered,
although he fought four other rounds under every dis-
advantage. He left the ground in a state of stupor,
and died on his road home.