Star.
London, England, 1826-12-12 00:00:00

DUKE OF YORK'S RESIDENCE.

The completion of the interior of this mansion is
rapidly drawing to a close, as there have been between
three and four hundred men employed upon it for some
time past. The suite of private apartments for the
Royal Duke are expected to be finished in about a
month, and ready for the occupation of his Royal
Highness by the latter end of February, or the begin-
ning of March. Most of the cornices and plaster orna-
ments have already been fixed. The grand hall and
staircase, it is said, will be the largest in England ; the
walls of the hall are to be covered with scagliola, and
the stairs are to be of marble. The dimensions of the
state dining-room are seventy-five feet by thirty-five
feet. The length of the picture gallery is upwards of
one hundred and twenty feet.
The avenues, &c. leading to the kitchen and other offices on the
basement story are so wide, and so extremely well contrived for
the admission of light, that there will be very little occasion for
limps. Gas lights have been introduced into the lower apartments
of the house, fur the men to work by.
This edifice, when completed, will rank with the handsomest
buildings in this country, particularly as regards its interior.

ROYAL ACADEMY.
Yesterday evening the dtribution of premiums for
the intermediate year took place at the Royal Academy,
when sayer medals were awarded to the following

students:
To Mr. Goblet, for a copy in oil after Leonard* da Vinci.
To Mr. Green, for a copy after the same.
To Mr. Say, for a.drawing from the living moleL
To Mr. Panormo, for a model from the same.
•To Mr. Grellier, for an architectural drawing.
To Mr. Milliken, for a drawing from the antique.
To Mr. Weeks, for a model from the same.
The President (Sir T. LAWRICNC6) having delivered
the foregoing premiums, offered a few admonitory ob-
servations to the students. In addressing himself to the
students of the Life Academy, he warned them to be-
v.are of contracting too showy and loose a style of
execution, which served rather as a cloak for ignorance
than a display tf knowledge in the human figure. He
d,ew a comparison between this style and that termed

the fi irid in writing. In looking back to the days of
past excellence, there was no attempt to catch the atten-
tion by glittering execution to be found in the works of
the great masters in the att. They were impelled for:
ward in the pursuit of one all-important object, too in•
tensely to allow them to dwell on the minutia of style.

In the Royal Academy, the students had an opporth
nil of acquiring the valuable knowledge which would
lead them to excellence in their art, and they might even
depend on being rewarded in proportion to the merit
they displayed. The President directing himself to the
students in the antique school, blamed them for indulging
in an error of a contrary' description, which consisted in
too exclusive an attention to finess of finish and relief'
The consequence of this habit was the loss of general
proportion and character, a deficiency which could not
be too severity condemned; for in proportion was
centred the very essence of character. It was that
which stamped the difference between the demi god,
the hero, and the serf. The President adverting to the
copies made in oil from Leonardo da Vinci, spoke in
terms of high praise of the successful candidates in that
department. Their performances had given great sa-
tisraction to the Directors of the Academy, and were
considered as affording a promise of future excellence.
The President concluded by pronouncing an eloquent
etilogium on fie late professor or sculpture in the insti-
tution (Nlr. Flaxman), whose death he considered a
diminution, not only of the power, but of the dignity,
of the Royal Academy.
We are happy to state, that Lord FORTISCUE is reco-
vered from his late indisposition.
Captain Sir JAMES ALEXANDER GORDON, K.C.B. is
appointed to be Resident Commissioner of the Victualling Board at
Plymouth, and Governor of the Royal Naval Hospital at that
port, in the room of Commissioner Casein, deceased.
Major ROWAN, the Commissioner on African Affairs,
may be daily expected in England. Ile has visited all the Settle-
ments on the coast, and most of the Islands, together with that of
Fernando Po, preparatory, it is supposed, to some more convenient
or central place being fixed on for the mixed Commission Court,
and other matters of interest connected with the Coast which will,
in all probability, occupy the attention of the new Parliament.
It is some years since the money receipts at each of
the Winter Theatres were so large as on the recent visits of the
Kum. Drury-Lane alone received nearly nice hundred ad
twenty pounds.
The two Winter Theatres continue to increase in the
number of their visitors, especially since they were visited by his
MAjarry. The Christmas Pantomimes at each house are nearly
ready, and the Proprietors are striving to excel each other in the
expense of their scenery, tricks, anti decorations.
Yesterday morning, about a quarter before nine
o'clock, as a man was driving a large ox from Smith-
field Market, the animal darted through a narrow pas-
sage called Frolier's-court, into a small house, and imp
mediately proceeded up stairs to the third and top floor=
and as the inmates were fortunately "not at home," be
with some difficulty retraced his steps to the second
floor, where he encountered a couple of cobblers, seated
at their work. The noise of what was going forward
soon spread like ""wild-fire," when a posse of butchers,
armed with knives, axes, and other deadly weapons,
quickly repaired to the scene of action, where, after a
little contention on both sides, the eictualkra ' contrived
to cut the ox's hamstrings, and thus disabled dragged
him down to the passage, where he was soon dispatched.
MELANCHOLY CATASTROPHIL.—OR Monday evening.
four females went on board a sloop in the Float, with
three sailors, and were treated witk liquor, until the
whole patty were intoxicated. Three of the women re-
tired, leaving the fourth fast asleep, with a candle
burning near her. After a lapse of some time, they
were alarmed with violent screams, and saw the poor
woman who had been left fast asleep rushing up to the
deck in a complete blazes and, before any assistance
could reach her, her clothes were entirely consumed,
and the wretched creature burnt in a most horrible
manner. From the waist upwards the whole was a
complete cinder, and in this condition, about four o'clock
nn Tuesday afternoon, she was taken to the Infirmary.
—ln the midst of her dreadful state of suffering, she
did not lose her recollection for a moment ; and when
leer companions went to ask her forgiveness, she was
iril difficulty prevailed upon to grant it, expressing a
glee deal of resentment at their conduct in decoying
Ler aboard, and their leaving her exposed to such an
accident. In this horrible state of suffering she conti-
nued until ten o'clock on Friday morning, when death
put a period to her misery. On Saturday an Inquest
was held, and a verdict of " Accidental Death" re-
turned.—Bristol Mercury, Dec. 11.
A very extraordinary investigation, it is said, took
place before the Magistrates on Saturday, respecting a
highway robbery preferred against a respectable trades-
man in tins City. There were strong grounds for at
once committing him; but at the earnest solicitations of
his friends, he was remanded, to give them an opportu-
nity of procuring a girl, with whom he alleges he was
in company at the time be is charged with the robbery.
16id.

THE ARMY.

The Ist Diisioit olds 114th (York and Lancaster) Resistant of
Foot, embarked on the 4th instant on board tke Jupiter transport,
at Cork, for Jamaica.
_ _ _

The fast Divisiou of the 44d (Cheshire) Regiment of Infantry,
embarked on the itd instant, on board the Arab transport, at Cork,
for Jamaica.

The 50th (West Kent), and 924 (Highland) Regiments of Feet,
rpat stationed at Jamaica, have received orders, en being relieved
bßegiments
yealtnisitd '
have been ordered to Carlingford Bay, for the con-
veyance Detachments belonging to the Stith, 50th, and 77th Re-
giments of Foot to Jamaica.

The 69th (South Lincolnshire) Reginient of Infantry arrived
yesterday, at Portaasoutbarom the Isle of Wight.
The Depot of the list (Royal North British Fuzilsers) have re-
ceived orders to proceed from Portsmouth for the Isle of Wight.