Star.
London, England, 1825-12-22 00:00:00

DREADFUL AND DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.

The neighbourhood of Wardnur•street, Oxford street,
was aroused this morning by the spring of the rattles,
and the loud cries of " Fire by the watchmen, in
consequence of the extensive premises of Mr. Gibbs,
having been discovered to be in flames. In a few
minutes the inmates were aroused, and escaped in •
state of nudity, without even attempting to secure any
of their effects. So rapid were the flames, that by a
quarter' to four o'clock, the house of Mr. Gibbs pre-
sented one entire body of flame, which had by this time
caught the extensive workshops in Meadowcott's Mews,
Litt:e Wardour-street, which were also in a few minutes
on fire from one end to the other. This line of work.
shops ran parallel with tht backs of the houses in War-
dour street, arid those in Berwick-street, and both Sides
of the Mews being on fire at the same time, burned
directly to the houses on either side. The devouring
element, however, was so far stopped in its progress,
as not to destroy totally the Mouses in Berwick-strem
though five or six are much injured. By four the scene
was awfully grand. Not a hogshead of water could
be got, and the Sun Fire Office, and County Fite Office
men, wete under the necessity of standing idle with
their engines. The house of Mr. Winter now took
fire, and not a vestige of the valuable furniture
could be saved. Toe house of Mr. Mitchell next caught
floe, and also f.ll. A slight supply of water was at
length procured ; but the house `of Mr. Macguire, on
the north side of Mr. Gibbs, was also in flames, as etre
the back premises of Mr. Evans, Mr. Mutzler, Mr.
Mackie, and Mr. Kelly, all of whom must be serious
losers. 13y six o'clock a small additional supply of
water was obtained,. and the united efforts of the cl.f-
Ferenc Batmen were at length brought to bear with
effect on the burning pile, which extended -the whole
length of the Mews. The loss of property is immense ;
in tact, a more calamitnus fire has not happened since
that in Wells-street, and a great number of mechanics
must for a time be thrown out of employ. When water
was got, the firemen soon overcame the halfburnt
embers, that every few minutes burst' forth in a blat
and byeight o'clock, all' fear sf further danger had
tubtided. '

The Court of Cessation of France • has tejected.the
appeAl• tale weniAn cond&nned to death fot having set
fire to-her own hoU4 to thfteud an insutance office.'
Paris paper Which mentions the circittnrsuice
that this decision settles the law on the point. It thus'
Appears the intro; taut question was hitherto undecided.'

A NTI- SLAVt R ,SOLI MT.
•
The Freetnasons°l6ll, arts yesterday 6iled..to over-
lowing, to celebrateanother A nniversar tins Societe.:
The Chair was taken'aboat half past twe byWir.t.t abl
WILBERFORCE., t sib who was . gree'ed by rpoirind
loud cheering from all parts of the room. He said, that
having from ill. health and infirmity retired .from Par-
liamentary duties, and even from private I:fe, it mig'.t
seem strange that he should ixow do violence equals to
he authority of his medical aneigearest friends,
by making this public appearance. Bit he telt this to
be an occasion. in which no men was at liberty to-yield
to personal feelings or motives. It was one nn which we
have all a great duty to perform, bath to GOD and matt,
and by the blessing of GOD, he would himself manfully,
to the best. of his poor ability perform it They were
assembled chiefly to consider the propriety of petitioning
Parliament. las urge upon the Colonial Legislatures the
limmediate reformation of the Slave system. Parlia-
lment had already declared its antious desire for such a
reformation, and its hope that it might speed.ly tak •
place. But when we look back only a little, and see
how inoperative as yet has been the expression of that
desire; v. hen w e reflect that it was not tool the people
of England took up the cause, the abolition of the. tr ifli
in human blood was trOmphantly carried, we must.
admit the necessity of a similar interference at this time.
there is a poivertul party who have:set- themselves as iti
battle array against the expressed opinion of the people
of England. The voice of England must therefoo: be
loudly raised ; and in this cause we recognize a solemn
and universally incumbent do',
ZALIIAST MACAULAY. Eva; read the Report, a feat
j points of which Onjiy we shill notic*:.... It, referred ge
j tient:ly to a mass of Parliamentary docomenti which
j had been laid before the Public. since the -last Anniver..
soy of the Society, adverted especially to sortie of the
vaunted improvements, by near laws, introduced bY the
Colonial Legislatures ; the It toot of the. Commis-
sioners respecting the criminal code in the West India
Co!onies—and dwelt on the general inefficacy of these
regulations as respected the unhappy negroes. It also
noticed several instances in proof of this position; and
quoted in evidence the report of men who were the
upholders of the slave system, and whose testimony to
its atrocities in the Colonies must be taken as conclu-
sive, being the admi-sion of enemies to the abolition 'of
that horrible system.
Sir JAMES MAcKISTOSII said, he had twice been
prevented attending these Meetings, and on the present
occasion could not suffer anything to interfere with so
solemn a duty. It would be inconsistent with honour
or conscience, and he considered the desire of the Com-
mittee equivalent to a command. It was delightful to
him to see in the Chair one who had Jed the van in this
cause, and oiho was now surrounded by veterans of a like
mind; one who had delivered Africa from the scourge
of the Slave Trade, and who, he prayed to Goo, might
live to deliver Britain from the scourge of Slavery. His
wishes for the success of the cause could not be separa-
ted from.these, for the vindication of British honour,
or the real security and welfare of the British Colones.
But his chief motive in advocating the Society was,
'his conviction that it aimed to rescue millions of our
fellow creatures from tytanny, and raise thee to the'
dignity. ot.human ibeings. In fact, the opposition to
our efforts is only the connivance of ci iminals who suf-
fer slavery Ito. exist. • As • long as slavery continues in
the AMerican Provinces. so long will the slave popula-
tion be subject to rapid decrease, and that will again
create a demand for Slaves. This will in time engender
a contraband traffic ; and our utmost efforts hitherto
will only have succeeded in shifting the seat of the evil.
I am no advocate for sudden abalition of slavery, but for
a gradual improvement and consequent emancipation.
Mien an improved system takes place in our Colonial
Legislatures, it will be impossible for Cuba or the adja-
cent continent to continue their present abominab'e
system ; and this will bring about a gradual abqljtion
amongst all. I cannot but pity the infatuation of the
English planters, who think it possible to maintain a
state of perpetual slavery in the face of the British
Government, of Spanish South America, and of Hayti,
a country of independent negroes, once enslaved. If a
new system was introduced into the internal regulation
of the Mash Colonies, it would force all the European
Powers into systems more humane and improving. He
then quoted several passages from the Report of Mr.
Dwallis, one of the Commissioners to enquire into the
state of Colo ilia Slavery. Amongst these was one de
scribieg the happiness enjoyed by the dives ; to which
the only parallel that struck him was, the Poet's de-
scription of the brute creation, viz.
The lamb thy riot dooms to bleed today,
Had he thy reason,' would he frisk and play?
• Pleas'd to the last, he crops his flowery food,
And licks the hand just raised to shed his blood."
—But granting that such a state.of mere animal happi-
ness exists amongst the slaves, it is only a proof that
tyranny has succeeded in extinguishing all the proper
dignity of man, in brutalizing them, or rather dninsj
worse; for to 'educe human beings to the level of the
brute, is to infl ct a wt.rse degradation than mere brie-
tAliztng. Whin Mr. Pigott, the Chief Justice of Tobago,
proposed to admit negro evidence to a certain extent.
the Bill was rejected. The Masters seem blinded., to
their own interests; the measures which we proposeilos
stead of being dangerous so them, are the only means
of permanently suppoiting them.—After some further'
observations, the Learned Gentleman sat down amidst
loud applause.
Mr. &Lowman followed, and in a powerful strain of invective,
dilated upon the charge that the Society was disposed to act rashly,.
" to believe uories.".-They now wily went upon the broad facts of
Colonial documents.'

Dr. LUSHINOTON, Mr. Gunnar, and others (whose speeches our
limits compel us to exclude) must energetically addressed the Meet-
ing, and on thanks being voted to the Hon. Chairman, the Meet-
ing dissolved.

Letters from Greenock announce the arrival of vessels
&Mrs Miramichi, the masters of which state, that pre-
viously to their sailing. there had been heavy rains and
a fall of snow, which had effectually put a stop to the
farther ravages of the conflagration in the woods. •
' Letters from Gibraltar announce that. Captain Cun.
niogham, Commander of the Colombian privateer the
General Soublette, is dead, in consequence of antra-
union of the arm, which was rendered necessary by a
wound, which he received in the action which he had
not feared toiengage in with font Spapish men of war,
escorting mirchautmen, bound for the Mediterranean.
LAT& Runs crt ISLK OF MAN.-At a gaol deli-
vei y holden:wt. e Castle of liusben, in the Isle of Man.
.on the 9th -inat. t e rioters who lately set fire to various
stacks of have been tried and convietesl'ofsteloriye
Tne sentence, • w Ifich is that Of transportation for
awaits only ti e confirmation of.theCiown.
Cluerwase-Wriairr.,-In this WArd tiWre WAS..," nrripitioN,
mid ail the yid Ahauht.r. wtrc.. norm& The :IVatdolutilt was
Out diswised. •

t

". • PROVINtIAi BANKS.
lotelligenEe has been teCeived of other toiltires of pro-
banksviz.of Mesiis.Pincham and Sons, Diss ; and
Metsts.Ni s,G °than% ltid Co. St.Neotes. Sorhe partners of
these banking-houses were in London early in the week,
411 d used the greatest eiettions to raise money, f
which they offered -securities which, in ordinary times,
could not .possibly be calle I in question, but such was
t e distress tnt money at that tim». that they could not
succeed. .The run on the banking-houses at Bristol is
said to have beeu brbtight o:i by placards posted
different parts of- the city, urging the holders of local
notes to convert them immediately itsto money.

By the letters from Glasgow and Edinburgh, a e
learn that the rate ad discount ihete has been advanced
to live per cent. and that the rate of interest on depo.jts
has been advanced to tuurper cent. Not a rumour has
been circulated, nor the slightest distrust expressed in
any quarter, to the disparagement of the credit of the
Scotcli Ba .ks.

WENTWORTHS' imme.. •
FROM THE LEEDS INDEPEHDENT.. • :71
The sums-rase. of the public, and particieli:ily' the
holders of nntes, as to the fate of this estabt.hrix Ili will.
now in a great degree be dissipated. The 'toilowingt
nielanctioly intelligence, which reachA us last evening,
and whiCh had been published in a circular by the firm
at York, will be read with much concern;=-:" Messrs.
W ntworth and Co. hiving, for several 'B4s, de-
voted venicelies to the examination of "their'affairs,
.nd having in vain used every possible 'exertion to
pr cure, in the present state of the money market, a
sufficiel.cy't ) meet the immediate calls upou'eheir firms,
are undi r the piinftil necessity of stating td;the Pttblie
their conviction of the impossibility to carry on their
respective e.tabliShments. Messrs. Wentworth and Co.
eructing to the candour iind liberality of the Public
under these nt•ist distressing circumstances, Confidently
hopg Oat their deerminatiOn will *grove the most berre.
tidal measine to the general interest of their' creditors
This publication, we fear, will spreal consternation
throughout the county. The suspension of its payments
by the Bank, in the first instance, orcasioned much in-
dividualloss; tha holders of its notes weie anxious to rid
thems.lses of a useless' commodity, and in the moment
of panic made great sacrifices on the amount of their
various sums. Bin subsequent events had somewhat
restored that confidence in the solvency of the house,
which had previnusly existed; and in Leeds and i.rher
places, on Friday, Saturday, and yesterday, the Wake-
field notes were received by many persons on the'sale
of goods at newly their nominal value. The traffic in
this paper, which a tew days before had been extensively
going on, had greatly abated ; and as far as we have
heard purch saes could only be mule at abut 18s. or
19s. for each iel note, To persons, therefore, who
have been speculating largely, by buying up then'
notes, the above intelligence will be far from agreeable.
The Bath Chronicle, 21st Dec. says We stop the
press to announce, that 'Messrs. Smith, Moger, and
Evans, hankers, have this morning suspended their
payments."
We are sorry to anemone • the stoppage of the banks
of Messrs. T. H. and W. Day, of Norwich, which took
place about five o'clock on Friday evening. The con-
sequence was, that the following being m stket day,
many of the minify people pressed upon the of er
banks.—Nortvich Post.
WHITEHAVEN, INCEIIDER 20.—1 t with ex'''. me
'regret we announce that the Bank of Messrs. J
Adanisnn, and Hope, has suspended paymeut.—White-
.iaven. Gazette. . .