Star.
London, England, 1828-01-22 00:00:00

• r
• thirdliti.- CUR itaroloqh'iN
, • • Oadtid, Jan.
All the accounh. we fiZeive iron!" Catalonia, agree in
representing that proirince is being situated on a tut-
cairn. The• King /lids himself every diyessilted with
enitiplaints against the aouwho day
cbarged diltii bting the euthr ts of au..the
that oppress the cOurarr.. .tArierat ternaa "11140
constantly on the looi-latst, egoist momentarily expect!
a fresh explosion. Already have in:Wry small handy,
whe may be considered as the Advanced guard of the
insurrectional main 'body, 'tiled reveral villages, and
completely I hindered them.
You have seen the famous Menu:Mal addressed sothi
time ago to his M lesty by the Bishop hf Vigue, re-
specting the affairs of Catalonia. this document, which
caused as much sensation in Spain as abroad, has heed
disclaimed since by that prelate, who addressed a letter
on this subject to the Minister of Graitand Justice, and
caused it to be inserted in the Gazelle of this day, but
there is no doubt that this proceeding is an act Of thee*
complacency on the part.of M. de Calomarde.
Although our Gazette affirms that there is no eh in *
in his Majesty's health, all
.private letters agree that the
King is troubled with a variety of complaints, and that
his return to Madrid has been determined on, and will
take place by the 24th instant. The King's Physician
in Ordinary, Dr. Castello, has been likewise dangerously
ill, and even his death was reported, which, however,
'proved incorrect.
All accoums from the South agree that the Colon).
hien privateers swarm on that coast, and that they i
a manner bl ckade us. It is also asserted that the
political ex-Chief Merconchini has been landed again
by them lately, and that he was mernbarked, after
effecting the objects of his mission.
An event has happened at Cadiz, which we hardly
'lthoirr how tagnalify. That town had been exempted
heat time immemorial Ginn furnishing any con-
tingent to rhe atniy, considering that the young men
of the place preferred the service of the Rapt Navy.
During the last drawing, of conscripts, fifty men were
demanded from that town for the service, and this
occasioned much gtumbling, it was determined that the
Municipality should gather a collection, the proceeds of
whicts should be applied to the raising of the contingent
that had been required. This sum was more than sufficient
for such purpose, as it amounted to up wards oflsoooo
francs (6,0001. sterling.) But the measures which were
taken to provide substitutes for these young men sug-
gested to the Municipality the idea, that as the Goeern•
ment stood in need of money, it would make no difficulty
to excuse the young men in question, if it were suffered
to finger the sum raised for providing substitutes, and
that fifty men more or less in the Army would be 'a
matter of moonshine, as the Government, moreover.
pledged its word that the contingent should not be ex•
acted. The Municipality, in its misplaced credulity,
made no further difficulty in paying the money over ;
but in a fortnight afterwards the fifty young men were
conducted to the army, under an esccrt of gendarmes.
Last Friday three highwaymen were hanged here;
but, for all that, there were several robberies committed
on that very same evening, in sight of the lamps placed
along the streets of this capital.

A Bill is said to hate passed the House of Assembly
of South Carolina, by a vote of 71 against 42, prohibit.
ing the instruction of persons of colour in reading and
writing.
A window star Blackfriars R idge attracts the notice
of the passengers by :he following labsl:--" Hot Kid-
Knees, every day."
The house of the Rev. Mr. IRVIM3, situated in. Clare.
mont Square, Pentonville, was broken into at an catty
hour on Sunday morning, and robbed of a quantity of
plate and wearing apparel. The robbers effrxted their
entrance by means of the kitchen door, which they dosed
tlitough with a cei tie bit.
Wednesday the Conflict gun brig, Lints.: Wakefield
(actin?), arrived at Plymo ith., in 45kdayi frosts Sierra
Leone, leaving all the, coa4 of Aftspa• sortaiton
and healthy, with the Meeption pflhe Redwing. 18,
Captain D. 'C. Cfaverhik.'which wesiel, itia.feared.• has
been lost, a kb• all the crew. as. same 04.1ter. :spark had
been picked up about 80 mileistO the aprthwtucl of
Sierra Leone, from which place she bad sailed, about
Ifive months previously, to cruise down the coast.
Wednesday his Maj sty's It, ig Bever. Captain David
lEdwards, arrived at Falmouth from Jamaica, last from
Crooked Island; left the frrmer place on the sth, and
the latter on the 10th of December, having brought
the Mails which had been waiting for same time to be
forwarded by the September packet (not thin arrived).
and which is supposed to have been lost. The Beaver,
ifor the last three weeks, experienced very severe gales
I from the westward ; so heavy was the sea, that on too
occasions she was nearly going down, and was obliged
to throw oierboard her guns ; the boats were washed
from the quarters, and her upper works stove in. Bay.
ing landed the Mails, she proceeded to Plymouth for
orders.
When the Beaver left Port Royal, the flfig of Vice
Admiral Fleming. was flying on board the Magni.
ficetr. The Druid, Harlequin, Fairy, Feriat, and
Pincher, were refitting there ; the Aurora and Valo-
rous were daily expected to arrive. The Witham
sailed the 20th of November, with specie tor Bar.
badoes ; the Esp'egle had gone with convoy to St.
Jar de Cuba ; Bustard to Carthagena and Chagter;
Union, to Maracaibo ; Pylades, to Vera Cruz, on her
way home; the Slaney was on her return from Vera
Cruz ; the Scylla, Skipjack, Speedwel, and Nimble,
were on the Bahama ration ; the AraOrie, Pickle,
and Monkey, to windward.
GIBBON AND SIR T. A—K.—About tfie time that
every knight-errant was inclined to break a spear on the
Gibbobian shield, Sir T. A—e was advised to enter
the lists, and he informed me that he should engage
in a controversy with Gibbon. " With Gibbon, Sir!
about what—his 15th and 16th chapters 7' No, about
his pump." At that time he was next door neighbour
to Mr. Gibbon, in Bentinck.street, and there was a
pump common to both premise., and some wits had
furnished Sir Thomas with a learned dissertation on
the subject. When he first wrote to Gibbon, the great
historian sent for a workman, but hecould find rothing
that was amiss with the pump; but the first letter not
obtaining an answer, Sir Thomas followed it up with a
learned Dissertation on the Origin of Pumps," and
favoured me with the sight of some copy, which he saic',
" if he could obtain no full answer he should publish,
and he was assured that it would sell." I told him, " I
did not doubt it ;" but, being intimate with his Lady's
family, I earnestly.entreated him to desist. He,. how-
ever, pursued the persecution, till Gibbon became much •
annoyed. Some time after inked Sir Thomas wt.at •
became of his contioversy ? " Oh !" says be, "Gibbon
never dared to write an answer ; he gave in, and only
at last sent a message to desire • that I would take'
the pump altogether, and do what I pleased with h.'s'
The essay on the pump was not ill drawn up, either as,
to elegant style or historical information, whoever had
been the writer of it.