Star.
London, England, 1826-10-19 00:00:00

LORD COCHRANE.

MESSINA, Sm. SO.
Lord Cochrane arrived here again on Sunday morn-
ing from Malta, after an absence of a week : he brought
a regular bill of health, but they refused to admit lath
to pratique ; they also ordered Mr. Hesketh, one of his
Lordship's officers, who was residing on shore, to depart
from his Majesty's dominions, al di-qua ed al di la del
faro, in.gautentemteide : in const.quence, he embarked
immediately. For some reason or other, the Govefn-
ment refused to give a new bill of health, or to return
the old one; and it was evening beLre Mr. Barker, The
Consul, made them give the Malta one back again.—
His Lordship then immediately put tsi sea (abotit six
o'clock P.M.) to the northward; it is said, in the night
lie repassed to the southward. On Sunday, at nOon, in
the very midst of the row, the Neapolitan ship VesuSius
came in from Naples, and it was said with express orders
to seize Lord Cochrane and his vessel ; they did not,
however, offer to molest him, though all the wise men
went abroad to consult. I doubt whether they had such
orders; and if they had, if they would have ventured
to have committed such an outrage on a British vessel
and on British subjects. The 7. (Neapolitan) sailed on
Monday to the southward. This affair has caused a
great deal of movement amongst the authorities ; some
of them, in their wisdom, very charitably proposed to
sink the ship and all hands (Lord Cochrane is in a small
yacht), as the easiest way of getting rid of them. They
have got an idea that his Lordship is obnoxious to the
English Government (because he fights in the cause of
liberty); and that, therefore, whatever insult they may
offer him will not be fesented. I hope they will soon
have reason to repent what they have done. The Luogo-
tenente is expected here every hour, for what purpose
no one can coojecture.

On the 50th ult. in a hard gale from the southward,
when off the Skerries, the steward of the Nimrod smack,
of the name of Thomson, was, by a lurch of the vessel,
thrown overboard; and a heavy sea running, no assist-
ance could be rendered, and he was drowned.

An unusually large grey owl has lately commenced
his ‘, solitary reign" in the eastern part of the Abbey
Church, Bath, to the great terror and destruction of
sundry jack•daws, bats, and church-mice I The nightly
hooting: of this grave and reverend" bird have al-
ready thrilled his bearers with a superstitious dread.
BeawicK.—Tuesday se'nnigbt, the light-house lately
erected at the end of our pier was lighted for the first
time. This is a very necessaty appendage to the pier,
and cannot fail to be of essential benefit to mariners on
the coast, in dark and stormy nights. It has been
erected by the Commissioners out of the harbour funds,
and will cost the public nothing.
A few days since a distressing scene took place at
Lille. A private of the Bth regiment of the line, con-
demned to death for insulting his superiors, was breu;ht
out for execution. The first discharge not having
killed him. the wretched man writhed upon the ground
in horrible agony, and it wai not till a second discharge
was fired that he was deprived of life.
CORN QUESTION.-At theßoss-shire County Meeting,
on Wednesday last, a Committee was unanimously
' appointed. to concertmeasures in Edinburgh, in sup-
port of the agricultural interests, with such other Com-
mittees as may be similarly appointed. A similar
Committee was appointed by the County of Elgin on
the 6th current.

On the night of Monday se'nnight, Seaton House, in
the neighbourhood of Arbroath, was broken into, and
a large quantity of silver plate (to the value of $001.)
carried off. The thieves had effected their entrance
at one of the dining-room windows, and they got most
of the booty in that room. No trace of the depredators
has as yet been discovered. .
The village of Ravenstene, Bucks, was last Wednes-
day thrown into the utmost. alarm and consternation,
by the report that a labouring man, of the name of
Bates, had attempted to destroy himself and his family,
'consisting of a wife and two daughters. The unfortu-
nate wretch, it appears, was a shoemaker, but owing to
the great depression of the times, had not been able to
get work during the last few weeks ; his daughters, who
are grown up, were in the habit of making lace, but,
from the same cause, could not dispose of their work,
and in consequence the whole family was reduced to
the last stage of want and wretchedness. On Wednes-
day last, the unhappy father, unable any longer to
witness the distress of his wife and daughters, proceeded
to a neighbouring market town, and succeeded in ob-
taining a considerable quantity of white arsenic, which,
on his return home, he mixed in a pudding,- with the
determination of putting an end to the lives of the
whole family. The consequences were truly horrible—
'the father and daughters ate greedily of the unwonted
tare, which the mother; supposing to be the effects of
hunger, restrained herself from doing. In about an
hour afterwards the father and his two daughters were
lifeless corpses, and the mother now lingers in a most
dangerous state; but little hopes are entertained of her
ultimate recovery.
Friday a farmer, who had been at a feast at a village
in the neighbourhood of Wadesmill, having partaken
rather too freely of the ale which flowed on the occasion,
made an assignation with a girl, so loud as to be heard
by some men about the place. He rode to the spot,
however, a little after midnight. The spot was a lonely
place near Wadesmill, and be had no sooner arrived,
then he was set upon by two villains, who had evidently
lain in wait for him. He was unhorsed suddenly by a
blow from one of them with a bludgeon, and after hav-
ing been-dreadfully beaten, was robbed of 501. An
alarm was given at Wadesmill, and an immediate pur-
suit and search took place in the adjacent wood. The
party had given up the search, when a farmer saw a
man creeping under a hedge, and threatened to shoot
him if he did not surrensler. The man gave himself up,
and he was handcuffed. Being ordered to give up the
money he had taken, he gave up 801. In addition to
this circumstance, the farmer whe had been robbed re-
cognised him as one of the two ruffians who had attack-
ed him. It is a remarkable circumstance, that the farmer
who took him prisoner had suffered by his conduct as
a poacher. He called ul:ci I Vie farmer with a hare,
which he offered for sale. The farmer refused it, when
the prisoner said, Wel, I dun't want it, you may
keep it, threw it down and went away. As he did not
return, the farmer not choosing to give it to his dog,
had it cooked. I'ne prisoner wa; taken into custody
soon after for poaching, when the magistrates offered,
as k is their practice, to release him, provided he would
inform of any one who had bought game of him. He
informed against the farmer, who had kept him in work
the whole of the previous winter, and who was then
c.'nvicted on his testimony in the penalty of 51. The
prisoner has since been c( flan:tined to Hertford gaol to
take his trial for the robbery.

BELLFASLE, &mum rt.

Sit prisoners who were condemned to the galleys for
life, arrived here a few weeks ago from Bicetre; they
had been able to conceal several small files, by means
of which they got rid of their fetters, and attacking the
guard placed over them, killed one man *nd wounded
several others: they had nearly effected their escape,
When a company of military arrived, and secured these
Wretches ; every one of whom had previously, by the
perpetration of the most horrid crimes, rendered him-
self deserving of death. They were instantly brought
to trial, and sentenced to death: In cases of this nature
thete is no appe4l, and they were ordered fur execution
on the same day. On Thursday, at four in the after-
noon, th% guillotine was erected in the square near their
prison,, each side was guarded by a battalion of Infan-
try, and at every corner a piece of artillery, loaded with
grape, was stationed, the cannoniers holding lighted
matches. The galley slaves, amounting to several hun-
dreds, were drawn out in three lines, and whilst the
awful preparations were going forwards, they were or-
dered to fall upon their knees, and in, this position to
witness the death of their associates in crime. At half-
past four, the six wretches, who were about to suffer,
sere b:ought forward. They manifested on their way
to the scaffold the most hardened behaviour, jeering
each other, and laughing at the Priest who accom-
panied them—the entreaties of the Officers and the
prayers of the Clergyman were unheeded ;obscene jests
and blasphemous expressions were uttered, even whilst
the ponderous knife remained suspended over their heads,
—it fell, and silenced for ever such impious language.