Star.
London, England, 1817-03-10 00:00:00

TO THE EDI FOR.

At i period like the prevent, when retrenchment, and the abo-
lition of redundant imumesserf sinecures is the order of the day,
I would fain, through the -medium of your excellent journal,
suggest to his Majesty's Ministers, the expediency of doing
away with the Generalship vast ColOnelcies of Marines, which
are appointments perfectly distinct from that meritorious Corps.
The public are generally impressed with the opinion, that
-those situations are conferred on she Oilerra of the Corps
itself, few being aware that they are exclusively bestowed on
tuatoidoste who are to fortunate as to possess Borough or
family interest, and are in no shape connected with the
serving Corps. hese appointments are amongst the number
of sinecures which might very fairly be put down. In say.
ing this, I wish not to detract Irom the professional merits
of the Officers who at present enjoy those 'situations; hut,
I would ask, are they not otherwise provided for
by the btate If lam told they are not, then all the other Admit.
rale and Captains on the Naval list have cause cif complaint, and
they should present a Memorial to the Head of the Executive,
praying that thermay be quartered on the estimate for that branch
of the service, which was it not for the salaries paid to a General,'
Lieutenant-General, Major-General, and four Colonels, yelep.d
of the Maritsa (although they never wore a red coat), would be
very small in the scale of expenditure ; and recourse need not be
had to the heart-rending uteasure that has been adopted within
these few days, of putting serenty•two, First Lieutenants on half.
py, who, having exhausted the very prime of their lives in
the service of their Country, under all hardships and *evert-
dell of climate, &e. are liINVBII en the world at a period when
they are too old to turn to any habits of industry, or leant
a trade, which, with the harrow modicum of their half-pay,
etaigist liable them (with, perhaps, their wives and children) to
exist without becoming burthensome to the parish where they
may reside- flay 3U3T1T1.11.

One of the stupendous trees which adorned the park
of Arundel fot nearly SOO years, was blown down
by the late storm; it was planted with others, by an
Earl of Ant:wpm, in the reign of Roue the Eighth.
JURY CouRT, EmNisuitou.—Monday the Jury
Court met and proceeded to a new trial of the issue
!emitted to them by the Second Division of the Court
of Session, in the case of the Earl of Fir's v. the
Timmins. of the late Earl, as formerly mentioned,
The Court were occupied till two o'clock next mor-
ning.
TICe Jury found-14 That it 114 s not been
proved that the deeds under reduction were read
over to the said Earl of Fife, previous to the said
Earl's name being put thereto."
Wednesday JAI Morris, or Morriroa, was brought
from Bridewell and exposed for an hour on the pil-
lory, on the High-street, Edinburgh, pUrsuant to his
sentence, for perjury, committed in giving evidence
on the trial of a person of the name of Black, recently
executed there for highway robbery. The street, from
the Tron Church to the Exchange, was crowded; but
by the outrageous conduct of a.nunsber of individuals,
the attention of the multitude was soon drawn from
culprit to the public executioner, whom they pel-
-1 tedlor some time with mud and stones ; and latterly,
breaking in upon the town-guard soldiers, who sur-
rounded the pillory, bore him off, and maltreated him
in a most scandalous manner, until he was rescued
' from their senseless • vengeance by some people
in the crowd, and conveyed off the street. The town
guard soldiers bore the ill•treatment they received
, with great pat
ience. and, maintaiped their ground
with firmness, until they' were overpowered by the
multitude of their assailants- In the end, a strong
body of police Oficers appeared, who soon drove off
Sig, aggressors, and restored order ; but, unfottu-
nately, the mischief was already done. The culprit
behaved with the most hardened indifference, laugh-
ing aloud at the outrageous proceedings which were
going on ; and at one time, when the pressure of
the crowd forced the executioner close to the pillory,
he actually kicked him with his feet.

, ,