Star.
London, England, 1824-05-26 00:00:00

MELANCHOLY CATASTROPHE.

DRAT FL OF MR. HARRIS, TilF. AERONAUT.
In another page we have given anatcottnt of the aerial ascent of

yesterday, And it is with regret we have to add An account of a
fatal Aciiittnt which followed.

The balloon proceeded in a south westerly direction over the
county of Surrey, and ascended to an altitude, it is supposed. of
two miles. It was first discovered rapidly descending over Croy-
don ; in fact, with such swiftness, that the persons in the villages
around entertained the most serious fears for the lives of the intre-
pid adventurers. On reaching within half a mile of the earth, the
balloon darted suddenly down, and on touching the ground, in-
stantly bounded severe' yards into the air, and then twirling round,
in a miented dashed trust the e2l- Air. Harris, who fell tb
the earth, and on being lifted up, immediately expired. The
young Lady, on the halloos becoming entangled with the
trees, was thrown out with great violence; on her being raised
she was insensible ; one of her thighs was snapped in two, and she
was discovered to be otherwise dreadfully injured. The balloon
was secured a few yards from the spot where this mast shocking
catastrophe happened, which was on the demesne of Mrs. Gee.
about a mile from Croydim, and in the village of Beddiogton.
The body of Mr. Harris was removed on a shutter to the Plough
Inn, in the village: it presented a trust shocking spectacle ; one
side is nearly crushed in. When first seen, his body was doubled
up, afel a medical Gentleman, who esxamived him, said he scarcely
ever saw such an instance of dreadfully complicated injury. The
young Lady was removed to a neighbouring house, where every
possible attention is paid to her: she was this morning considered in
a dangerous state. The thigh has been dressed, but it was thought
amputation would he necessary.
From the best inquiries we were enabled to make, as to the cause•
of this dreadful affair, of the persons who had perceived the
Balloon descending, we gather the following particulars.—From the
decrease in the hulk of tale Balloon, it is supposed Mr. Harris must
have commenced opening the valve when at its altitude of nearly
two miles in the air, and from accident or mismanegement, the gas
was allowed to escape too freely, and thus, from being unable to
check the rapidity of his descent, the accident happened. If he had
had a grappling iron to throw out, it is believed, although sonic
slight casualty must have happened, the fatal consequences would
have been avoided, as on the Balloon coming down and ascending
the second thee, it would have been stopped, and the aeronauts
released from their pet none situation, Mr. Harris refused to take
the grappling iron, determining to try some experiment with the
gee, as it applied to his descent.
The melancholy account of his death, reached his wife and family
in the course of this morning, and their sorrow may be better con-
ceived than described ; sonic of his friends, who composed a Com-
mictee of Management, immediately left town, and arrived at Bed-
dington as early as seven o'cluek this morning. The dreadful.
catastrophe has produced feelings of tine deepest commiseration in
the village, and the demesne was covered, as our informant passed,
with clowde of persons. Mr. 'Lens :weeded to ascend in the
same balloon on next Tuesday.
The Inquest will be held before Mr. JEMNIETT, the Coroner, this
evening.

We have received Rio Janeiro Gazities to the 6th of
March. They contain no news of much interest beyond
Brazil. The preliminary proceedings for the election.
of Deputies appear to be going forward, and a list of -
parochial electors in several provin ccs is given—a fact,
which disproves a report formerly in circulation, that
the Emperor did not intend to allow the convocation
of the Congres appointed to meet by his published plan
of a Constitution. _ _ .

Accounts from Alexandria, received by way of Leg-
horn state, that the plague was raging violently there.
So great a scarcity of money prevailed yesterday in
the City, owing to the extensive speculations for i rise
in English stock, that the continuation on Consols for
the next account was at the rate of betucen 9 and 10
per cent. per annum. Thete has not ,been known for a
very long period so heavy a continuation. •
Letters from Malta fully confirm the account of the
explosion at Cairo, which appears to have been more extensive than
at first reported. Fivo thousand persons are said to have lost their
lives, and property to the amount of more than half a million ster-
ling was destroyed. These letters stet: that the Turhish troops wil-
fully set fire to the magazines, to avoid mari:hing arAinst the Greeks.
It is stated in a private letter frcnr Li, bon, that be-
tween six And seven hundred persons were arrest.id during the re-
cent events, and that among those still remaining in confinement
are the following prisons of dittiliCl.oll :- -The Marquis d'Angeja,
Marquis de Fronteira, Count de I'arati, Count de Taissa, Gaspar
Teixeira, lieutri Pereira de Cantu) ; Mozinlio, of the Custom-house ;
Candid() Jose Xavier ; Jose Atria° Falcao, son of General Azedo;
of the Secretary of War's Office ; 13raudao, junior; the two
Franque:ros ; Felipe Ferreira il'Ari:ujo ; Silvestre l'inheira, iVlinis-
ter during the Constitutio• al Government; Brigadier-General Sousa,
together with a great number of the Officers belonging to the gar-
rison. Many of the persons arrested are perfectly opposed to each
other in politics, and sevnral are deckled enemies of the Freemasons.
Several Officers, who executed the lirst arrests, by order of the In-
fante, it is said, were themselves afterwards taken into custody by
the same authority.
Yesterday afternoon, the parochial children of the
different parisues in the Metropolis, to the amount of 4,000, as-
t
CORN-I:AC!! ANC; ..%IA UK-LANE, MAY 116.
rienalrbslientig,it;
rCevbiroitstst
to their aNnenlVagliamt ee:bettritntst
1:
si :or (so
.rpose of re-
The arrivals n! this wed( arc—Wheat,
`-,050 quarters; Earley;
3713 ()at'' 4.500 `1". Irish
Oats,
1,500 or ~ Flour, 2,'00 sacks.'
1a is a ood*Lieniand for
These quantities are only moderate. • 6
such parer!, of ._
and mot,.e money is agaht asked,
wait wbi;h u J
to compy,
ti though!cluctastt do.
u
so; in other •quinias thorn is not much ibusiness wag. Barley is
Peas no altrilitit,n. leas rd sale much the same terms as Monday
scarce, and rat!:::r dearer. Brans are also held on higher terms. In

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1,411' REPORT.

COURT OF KING'S BENCH, A 1.11( 25.

THE REV. DR. WILSON V. THE CHURCHWARDENS OF
ST. rnomas.—WßlT OF PROHIBITION.
The LORD Cul FY JUSTICE, at the sitting of the Court
this morning, delivered their Lordships' judgment.—
This s" a; an application for a prohition, restraining
the Eccle-iastical Court from trying a Tiestion Jexist-
ence or nun existence of a custom. This was a matter
of fact, and as such ought to be tried at common law.
The Court were decidedly of opinion the Eccle,iastical
Court were not competent, and therefore the writ of
prohibition must ge.—Rule made absolute.
CRIMINAL INFORM A TION.—THE KING V. CARLTON 1
Atrb OTHERS.
This was an information filed against the proprietors
of the 13ii.ish Press newspaper, for a libel inserted in
that paper, reflecting on the character of Mr. Chetwynd,
Member of Parl;ament for Stafford. The alleged libel
was contained in certain comments made in that paper
on the conduct of Mr. Chetwynd, in his character of
Chairman of the Quarter Sessions, and whilst presiding
as snch on Cie trial of two individuals named Hint.
Tt;e ATTORNEY-GENERAL, on an early day in last
Term, obtained a Rule to spew cause why a criminal
info' oration should not be filed against the defendant
Carlton, as printer of the British Mess, and the other
defendants, as publisher and proprietor of that paper,
for the libel in question.
Mr. SCARLETT now strewed cause against the Rule,.
and contended, first, that the comments in question con-
tained nothing which furnished matter for a criminal
prosecution ; and secondly, that even if they did, this
Rule must be discharged, as the affidavits upon which
the Rule was obtained did not support the application
to such an extent as to justify making the Rule abso-
Tlie Learned Counsel then proceeded to read the
long affidavits upon which the Rule was granted, and
which were stated in substance at the time the Rule
was applied for.
Mr. Justice llayt.Fy wished to know whether it was
stated in any Fart of the affidavits that the Editor, or
Conductor, or Writerb of the alleged libel in the news-
paper in question, .was acquainted with these facts at
the time he wrote the paiagraph now charged as a libel?
Mr. SCA R LETT was not prepared to answer.
Mr. Justice BAYLEY said his i.bject in asking this
question was this; if these facts, as now stated in affi-
davit, had been communicated to the writer of the pa-
ragraph, it might be presumed that he wrote under the
feeling of irritation and sympathy, which would be
excited in the .mind of a man by first hearing such
a statement.
Mr. Scijeant WYLDE said, the facts, as now set forth,
were stated in the report in the country paper, which
repot t was copied into the London paper, and on which
the comments said to constitute the libel were made.
Mr. SCARLETT observed, such being the ease, he
trusted the fact would go far to justify the author a
the comments. Mr. Scarlett was about to proceed in
his argument, but was stopt by the Lord Chief Justice,
who said he was obliged•to attend his duties in another
place, and his Lea: ned Br otters rather desired that the
Luther pr;:ceetlin:2.s in this case should stand over.
COURT OP COMMON PLEAS, MAY O.