Star.
London, England, 1826-05-18 00:00:00

HAWKHURST FESTIVAL. •

A festival of a most gratifying description took place
at Hawkhurst, in Kent, on Monday 'obi. S ime of the
resident Gentry who had witnessed with concern the
frequent appeals to the poor-hoz, which have of late
unfortunately become too common among the labour-
' ing population, determined on making an effort to restore
the true old English reeling of independence, which an
habitual dependence on parochial relief threatens en,
tirely to destroy. To effect this desirable object, they
promoted by their personal exertions, and aided by their
purses, the formation of a friendly subscription society
among the agricultural and pther labourers in their
neighbourhood. The object of the association was to
create a fund, by trifling periodical contributions, out
of which the members were to be relieved, at certain
rates, in case of sickness or other casualties. The plan,
formed at first upon a very small scale, succeeded
beyond the fondest expectations of its benevolent pro-
jectors ; a decided improvement was effected, not only
in the pecuniary affairs; but also in the moral condition
of the contributors ; the parochial rates were relieved of
a considerable portion of their bulthens ; and numerous.
•candidates for admission poured in from the adjacent
parts• of Kent and Sussex.
Oa Whit-Monday, the day appointed for the cele.
bration of their annual festival, about two hundred of
the members, cleanly and comfortably dressed, and
wearing cockades, marched in procession to the princi-
pal inn, where Henry Winchester, Esq. of Hawkiirst,
a benevolent promoter of the Institution, presented them
with a pair of colours. The flags were red and blue,
sad bore, in letters of gold, the appropriate mottos of
'44 Loyalty to the King and obedience to the Laws ;" and
." By faith we persevere, for our trust is in Cod."
The procession then marched of, in exeellent order, to Itawh-
burst Church, where a most appropriate discourse was delivered
to tbeta•by the Rev. Mr. Clever. . •
.-After Divine, Service, the men proceeded in the same order to a
bona Sited up on the Moor, wheie, a dinner was provided fur
The Rev. Mr. Clever took the head et the table, supported
ly George Mathews, F.sq. and, surrounded by many of the Patrons
of Society. At seven o'clock, the Rev.. Gentleman and kis
friends retiredl and about eiebc the gaen lightly separated and re-
tired to their homes. Although left to tbenaselves, surrounded by
plenty;.not a single instance of intozicatius *Awed among the
whole number. • • -

GOLD, FISH a• •

• .q',••mii‘e.o.o:

•
•1. VAS, ••• •
_No* Hosier was bronek—kefore Amerman AMU% V, Walls
',yesterday, charged with basieg,soysterioody depriMd we Mr..,
.F Watson of a gold sovereign, without his cow* • .
..-41diry ',Hosier is a maiden of all-work, recently strived in raven
frekGlaucestershire, with a prospect ot speedily hemming a damsel
. ?•-syork-e-for she has met with many plod /rinds in town who
,carefully instructed her hew to .builibe full-prbof gin at any
and she basalready made considerilile proficiency therein.—
Tice accuser, Mr. John Watson, is a large, comely, well.impin-•
kilted, soft-spoken young personage, handsomely done up in bottle-
grill; broad cloth : and, according to his account, she deprived him
Soc•the sovereign in this manner
/between ten and eleven o'clock he was st,the Black Ball,- in
liiiithilehr; and Mary was there likewise-.be was eating oysters
by himself, and Mary was. drinking gin with her friends. 'Whilst
he was eating his oysters, Mary watched him attentively, as though
she begrudged him every oyster he swallowed ; and at last she said
to him, " I say, Mister, don't you mean to give me an oyster ?"
" Certainly," replied Mr: Watson; and thereupon be very gallantly
handed her one of the finest ; at the same time taking a sovereign
from his pocket to pay for what he had had. Bet Marys* sooner saw
the sovereign glittering between his Angers than she snatched it from
hips, clapp'd it into her mouth with the oyster, and gave .a gulp—
" It isn't piss l" said the astonished Mr. Watson—" Indeed,•but it
is though t" rejoined Mary; and thereupon Mr. Watson laid hands
upon her and gave her in charge to a constable; for he really
dap* believe she bad swallowed. i 4, and he was io hopes the eon-
stifile would And it concealed somewhere orother.
The constable, one Mr. Bradley, a worthy blacksmith of St. Se-
milehre's. parish, said he " arcked her imenedently, as far as it was
possible for man to sarch her, and found nothing in the shape of a,
sovereign."—" liewsemever, she told me," added the constable,
"that the Gentleman shoved it into her mouth..and it might have
slipped down tinwares, along with the oyster."
Mary, In her defence, declared positively that Mr. Watson se-
, teeny did ante a sovereign into het mouth—that is, if it was a so-
vereign, which she did nut believe.—" When I az'd him to give
' me a hoyster," paid she; " he did giro me one• cenainly, but he
'steed me money as I'll give you half a sovereign, pretty
maiden; said he to me,' if you'll let me see you home,'—' No, sir,'
said Ito him again, I wants none of your money, I've got money of
my own, and what I've got, I works hard and honestly for.' And
with that be takes me round the neck, and shoved the money into
my mouth—be did—shame on him !" Mary concluded by saying,
that she verily believed it was only a balf.sovereign after all—be-
cause " it slipped down so desperate easy." •
Mr. Watson, in reply, solemnly declared, that it was a whole
severely, and that the story of his haying forced it upon her was
energy *acme. She snatched it from him,' and popp'd it into her
mouth the very instant be took it out of his pocket ; and he could
bring a doses witnesses to prove it.
" Then let the ease stand over Vatil to-nutrrow," said the Alder.
mane; and Mary was re-conducted to prison.

Yesterday a Court of Directors was held at the East
bona House, wises tin undermentioned ships were thus stationed,
vis.—eawb;idp, for Bsugal, to muck at Madras, aid Jaws Sib.
bald. C.orawall, and Hercules, ter Bengal direct.
PH INOMISA OF TIMWFATHIN4-+AllaillElßO, MAY LI
--..After three weeks dry weather, we bad, on the Ist of
May, a fall id snow scaly a foot deep ; on the 3d the
weather became milder in this part of the country, and
leaterday, after a sultry forenoon, we had the first
thunder storm. The very first flash of lightning struck
a flock of sheep, about three quarters of a league from
this city, and killed the whole flock, consisting of 170
sheep. The •shepherd and his dog were not injured,
though only a short distance from the filck. On the
lit of May a man was frozen to death, who, being in a
state of intoxication, lay down in the snow.
The Court of Assize passed sentence on Saturday, in.,
the affair of Mr. Taffiroff, known by the name of Ta•
phiroperdo, who was accused of bigamy by Madame
Mandela. He was accused of having, before his mar-
riage with Madame Mandeut, espoused, in Greece, a
Miss Veiestia; and a paper, said to be the certificate of
bisanarriage, was produced. Thispaper, written in the
Greek linguage, being laid before competent
,41dges,",
was thought to be very irregular, and the Coutt, aim
•a short consultation, acquitted the prisoner.