Star.
London, England, 1814-12-03 00:00:00

GRAVESEND DECEMBER 2.

Arrived the Ebenezer, Edmonds, from liamburgh ; Bellona,
Anderson, from Worway ; Betsey and Peggys,Williantson, from
Malaga; Mary, Buckley, from Messina; Juno, Leeches. from
Bremen ; Vine, Lir.der, from Hamburgh ; Minerva, Pattersos,
ftom Goaenhurgh ; Alexander, Petreal, from Abs. &Bed the
Dagetaarti, Rondep, for Bahia; Elizabeth, Ellis, for Cork; Levey
Frenude, Meyer, from Bremen; Graff liernstorff, Canteusen,
for Copenhagen; and t'rederick,fOrchinsuut.

A large boat, employed in the herring fishery on
the Cardiganshire coast, and having seven men on
hoard, was, during very boisterous weather, on
Tuesday se'nnight overset, when, shocking to relate,
every one perished !
Extract of a letter from Bourdeaux, dated Novem-
ber 24 :—" An English. vessel, stated to be of 170
tons burthen, and htdcn with wine and brandy, was
taken on the 17th instant, by an American ship of
war, supposed to he a privateer, near the Isle of Rho.
It is reported that four American privateers, named
the Lion, City of Paris, Scourge, and Wasp, are
cruizing between this harbour and Ushant. There
are about 14 English vessels at pres?nt at this port."
It is asserted in the French Papers that Martinique
and Guadaloupe were surrendered to that Power.—.
Our letters are, dated a fortnight later than the ac.
counts received at Paris, and in them it is positively
affirmed that these islands were yet in the possession
of the British farces.
With our letters from France we have communica-
tion from' Ghent to. Tuesd:zy last. The American
Commissioners had received their dispatches by the
"Fingal, and it. is certain they contain no order finally
to break up and abandon the Negotiation. Little
more was known ; notes were interchanged between
the British and American Plenipotentiaries, and there
appeared to be some activity in the proceedings in
the form they had assumed.
• The Duke of DIVONSHIRR lately visited his estates
near Penrith, in Cumberland, where rapid improve-
ments are making m taking in the waste land. His
Grace seemed highly pleased with the skill which had
been exhibited in this respect, and endeared himself
much to all ranks, by the urbanity and affability of
his devrtment.
Last vicek a young Lady and Gentleman arrived,
in great haste, at Gretna Green, where they were
united in marriage by the accommodating Character.
stationed there for that purpose. The waght of the
prize may be in some degree conjectured, when it it
added that the Gentleman paid the supposed Parson.
£5O in a Bank of England Note, for the trouble• he
was occasioned in tying the nuptial knot,

GREAT IMPROVEMENT Thl pitiNTirid.

&nee 'Tuesday last lie noel Newspaper has been
printed by machinery: that is to say, the forms for
pages] being Composed and made up in the usual
mumer, have been worked off by means of machi-
nery, moved by a Steam Engine, instead of being
printed at the common press as hitherto usud. It is
but jurtice to say that the paper, since this change in
the mode of working, has not only been as well prin-
ted, but much better than can, in the hurry of a daily
paper, be effected in the common method : and if we
add to this the fact stated by the proprietor, Mr.
WALTER, that, by means of this machinery, a much
greater number can be worked off in a given time
[the number that can be worked in one hour is stated
at 1100], the invention may be hailed as an improve-
ment in the art of printing of the highest consequence
to mankind.

The inventor is a Mr. KOENIG, and the artizan by
whom it has been constructed and brought into ac-
tion, is a Mr. BAUER. If the complexity and accu•
racy necessary in such a piece of machinery, be con-
sidered, it will not be denied that no small share of
praise is due to both of these ingenious individuals.
But when we consider the machinations and preju-
dices which Mr. Wevrca must have encountered

(and with which he must yet lay his account to con-
tend) in bringing this machinery into actual use, we
know not to which to ascribe the • greatest share of
merit.— May his firmness and perseverance meet its
due reward !

It b somewhat remarkable, that while this inven-
tion, which has taken a long time to perfect it, has
been, in progress, another, for the same (Neer, was
also carrying on by Mr. Bitcoti, of Norw;ch, and Mr.
DONKIN (engineer), of Bermondsey, which was set
to work within a day after the fortn•.r commenced.
The Norwich Mercury, received this morning—a
Paper published by Mr. BACON, contains a Prospec-
tus of the latter machine, to which is added the fol-
lowing notice:

" Since this Prospectus was printel, the machine
has been set to work on a French Testament in this
city, for the British and Foreign Bible Society. It is
worked by one man and two boys ; and we may ven-
ture to affirm, that, in the ordinary manner in which
the London newspapers are printed, many more copies
than the number stated by the Tinter could be taken
off with the greatest ease. Dr. MILNER, the Master
of Queen's College, Mr..Woon, President of St. John's,
and Mr. KAYE, since Master of Christ's, as a depu
mien from the Syndics of the Press at Cambridge,
have also inspected the machine, and have manifested,
by their readiness to contract with the Patentees for
its introduction at the University, all the zeal which
might be expected in that body for the cause of lite-
rature and of the art.—These are the earliest patrons
of the machine.

66 The Reader will learn little of the comparative
excellence of the two processes from these descrip-
tions. It will be for time to decide upon their respec-
tive merits, but there can be no doubt that a change
in the art of printing, very imeortant to society, will
be effected by the joint or separate influence tit these
•machincs. (Signed) " R. M. BACON.
" Norwich Mercury Office, N0v.50,1814."
We cannot, in few words, cmv:l to our Readers a
full description of either of these machines, :Ind must,
th.frefore, content ourselves with hriehy stating the
protium pointtin which these machines differ from
each other. In Mr. WALTEIeS, the forms are laid
upon a travelling carriage, as in the common press,
but having a range of such len:4th that the form, by
passing under a system of rollers, receives a charge of
I ink, and, still going on, receives from another roller
the sheet pressed down uptrat it, by passing under the
roller : when through, the sheet is taken off the form,
receives another charge of ink from rollers, and, on its
return, presents another sheet, which has in the interim
helm placed on the paper roller—and so thernately,
in going and also in returning, a sheet ispriiiied.
In Messrs. BACOI4 and DONICIN'S machine, there is

no reciprocating motion. The types are placed on a
prism of as many sides as the nattne of the form re-

quires. This prism occupies the centre of an upright
frame, like the roller in a copperplate-press: below
this is a kind of compound-faced roller, suited to the
form of the prism : through between these, the sheers
to be printed (attached to the face of a piece of clash )
are passed in succession ; and in the mean time, the
revolution of the type-prism brings its different por-
tions in succession under a system of inking-rollers
placed over it, by which it receives successive charges
of ink, to be delivered to the sheets as they pass in
succession between the lower rollers.

The comparative merits of the two machines
will be decideo by experience. They seem both
highly ingenious, and either of them might have been
hailed as promising all that was wanted to perfect
the art of printing. The very circumstance of two
machines starting at once, and both calculated to
effect the object intended, will etentually tend to the
to greater perfection of both, and their more speedy
general adoption.

A correspondent, who has lately travelled through
Westmoreland and Cumberland, remarked almost the
whale of the hills covered with snow last Saturday.
There has been also a considerablefall towards Moffat
and beyond it, in Scotland.
_ _

A numerous Meeting of the Middlesex Magistrates
was held at the Sessions•house on Thursday, at which
the peculiar situation of the county, arising from the
bankruptcy of their Treasurer, was discussed at great
length. Counsels' opinion was produced by Mr. B.
MAINWARING'S Solicitor, from which there appears
reason to hope that the county money, amounting to
upwards of ‘9OOO, may be saved; that Ince:myna hav-
ing, as it is said, been trusted by the Treasurer in his
own banking-house, but lodged with other bankers. Mr.
BYNG, the Member for the County, after arguing upon
the general question, stated that Bankers, not be•
ing, dealers, nor exposed to those risks which are
necessarily consequent upon ail mercantile concerns,
were bound to pay twenty shillings in the pound ;
he felt himself peculiarly called upon to endeavour to
impress this fact upon his brothel Magistratesos many
of his conatituent► were suffering from the failure of
this bankirwhouse, which had enjoyed a superior de-
gree of credit, owing to its apparent connection with '
the Magistracy. Mr. Bits° then gave notice, that he
should, at the next Sessions, however painful the duty
might be in his particular situatio,), oppose the conti-
nuance of the present Treasurer in that office; units*
it appeared that, not only the county, but all the cte•
ditch s were paid alike twenty shillings in the pound.