Star.
London, England, 1831-05-13 00:00:00

BOROUGH MONGERING.

The Duke of Rutland (in whose family no eminent de-
gree of personal merit has ever yet appeared) was, at one
time, owing to the influence of the accursed abuse—now de-
nounced by King, Government, and People—able to secure
for his own relations tic offices of Archbishop of Canter-
bury, Lord Chancellor of Ireland, and Speaker of the nous,:
of Commons ; and for his tutor, that exemplary successor of
the Apostles, Dr. Sparke, the See of Ely— rich iu revenue
and patronage—with many other smaller things for his con-
nexions anedependents.
The Duke of Northumberland (a family of the same me-
diocrity of personal pretensions as the Manners) has long
been in the habit of obtaining every thing he asked. Thir
the nation saw church preferments piled upon Doctor Percy
to the number of eight or nine, yielding many thousands
per annum, and, at last, the See of Carlisle ! He demanded
another bishoprick for his tutor, Doctor Bethel!, and, of
course, got it. For another Percy he claimed and gained a
Commissionership of Excise. In fact, none of the public
departments are to he found, that are not stocked with per-
sons thrust into them by this family.
The Beresfords (a family standing on the same humble
intellectual level with the Percys and Manners) have eNer-
cised in Ireland an equal command over the " spolia opima"
of the State. Thus there were three of them at once in the
enjoyment of Mitres—an Archiepiscopal and two Episcopal
ones—producing prodigious heaps of gold, while they fillcd
with their own numerous connexions every piece of prefer-
ment in their gift; the family seizing, at the same time, all
the posts in the army and navy, and all the government
places that it was possible for them to 611.

The new comedy, produced at Covent Carden Theatre,
under the title of The Exquisite:, is from the pen of Senor
Don TELESFERO de TRUEBA, a Spanish gentleman, ell
known in the literary world as the author of the Castilian,
Gomez Anus, and several other interesting novels. This is
said to he the first attempt that ever has been made by a
foreigner to write a comedy for the British stage; and it
gust be highly gratifying to the author to find that
his hold endeavours have been crowned with success.
This gentleman was educated at the Catholic college of
St. Ed&onds, in Herefordshire, and not at Highgate, as
orrnnenusly stated by smite of the papers. He is a strong
constitutionalist, and an intimate friend of that brave and
patriotic guerilla, Mina, who is now at Bourdeaux, waiting
till a favourable opportunity should arrive, to deliver his
enslaved country from the tyrannical and bigoted yoke of
Ferdinand 7th.

Wednesday a Court of Directors was held at the East
India House, when the following ships were thus timed—
viz. Coldstream and Mangles, for China direct, be afloat 15
the 15th inst, and tail to Gravesend at the eniration, of
days from that date.
The term Buroughmonger as first arplied by Sir F. Bur-
dett, about twet4y years ago, to the Parliamentary phalanx,
or Regiment, as he called it. When first broached it was
laughed at, hut at length it is an epithet which makes its
objects lat.gh on the other side of their mouths.
It is calculated that the beginning of June, when the
elections are over, and when people will be flocking. to
town, on account of the trsembling of the Parliament on
the 14th, will display the fullest Lttentlance of fashionabies
in the metropolis ever known. The West-end tradesmen,
in particular, are said to be making- immense preparations.
We are snitho.ised to state that the paragraph appearinr,
in the Newcastle Chronicle ,)f the 30th ult. of the Duke of
N.lrthumberland having s',bscribed 100,0001. to preserve
the Government of this country in the bards of the ho-
roughmongers, is a scandalous and malicious falsehood.—
Tyne Mercury.
In most of the South-sea islands prejudice exists against
a woman eating in the presence of her husband ; and,
in the Archipelago, her doing so is a crime punishable
with death.

In many places bordering on the Rhine, mendicity is
made apparently a niatter of amusement ; at the sound of a
carriage agricultural labourers will leave their work, and
run whining by its side, in the hope of extorting contri-
butions. _ _ _

Sir Christopher Wren says that churches should not ex-
ceed 90 feet long by 60 broad,which makes 5,400 square ft.
Exeter Hall, the new building for bolding public meetings
is 130 feet long by 76 wide, which makes 9,880 square feet.
being an excess of 4480 square feet, so that it is, if mea-1
anted by Sir Christopher Wren's standard, nearly one half
too large. Thifirrobably accounts for the difficulty expe-
rienced in the large room in hearing the speakers from the
platform to advantage. The expense of erecting this build-
ing was 28,0001.
GOLD MINES IN THE RURAL MOUNTAINS.—The
working of these mines continues, and the quantity obtained
ii.creases. The quantity of gold obtained in 1829 was 287
ponds, 30Ibs ;in 1830, 355 ponds. A pond is about 401bs.
The platina obtained was, in 1829, 78 ponds, 311bs ; and,
in 1830, 105 ponds. The value in sterling is about five
millions. The increase since 1821 has been gradual. In
that year the gold obtained was 27 ponds ; in 1822, 28 ;
in 1823, 105 ; in 1824, 206 ; in 1825, 237 ; in 1826,
231 ; in 1827, 282 ; in 1828, 291 ; and in 1829 and
1830, as above stated. The quantity of platina has gra-
dually increased from 1 poud 331bs. to 105 ponds.